1. By the end of today’s lesson you will
Understand the concept of Religious Language as a LANGUAGE GAME as first expressed by LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN.
Have evaluated the extent to which language games provide a suitable way of resolving the problems of religious language.

2. Spec Check – Component 2: Philosophy Theme 4: Religious Language
AO1 – Knowledge and Understanding
AO2 – Analysis and Evaluation
F: Religious language as language game
Meaningful to people who participate in same language game (Ludwig Wittgenstein).
Supportive evidence – non-cognitive form of language provides meaning to participants within language game; consider use of language not meaning; language games fit with coherence theory of truth; religious language as expressions of belief.
Challenges, including rejection of any true propositions in religion that can be empirically verified; does not allow for meaningful conversations between different groups of language users; does not provide adequate meaning for the word ‘God’.
The extent to which language games provide a suitable way of resolving the problems of religious language.

3. Ludwig Wittgenstein 1889-1951 Born in Vienna, Austria
Attended the same school as Hitler from
Originally studied engineering in Berlin.
1908 – worked on the development of jet engines in Manchester University.

4. Ludwig Wittgenstein
Developed an interest in the foundations of mathematics and went on to study with Bertrand Russell in Cambridge University.
Later lived in Norway and developed an interest in Philosophy.
Served in the Austrian artillery during WWI.
Captured and wrote his notes for Tractatus Logico Philosophicus in prison.

5. Ludwig Wittgenstein
Worked as a teacher in Austria (but didn’t enjoy it)
1930 – Worked on Philosophy again in Cambridge.
– Returned to Norway – worked on Philosophical Investigations.
1939 – appointed professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University (succeeding G.E. Moore)

6. Ludwig Wittgenstein

7. Tractatus Logical Philosophicus
Influenced the thinking of the Logical Positivists.
Language is a ‘mirror of the world’. He established a ‘picture theory’ of language.
E.g. “The cat lay on the mat.”

8. Tractatus Logical Philosophicus
“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
Where there are no facts (i.e. the mystical, the metaphysical, the ethical), there is no corresponding proposition.
If there is no proposition, no statement can be made in regards to these topics (mystical, metaphysical, ethical). So, we should not speak!
Rather than speak meaningless nonsense, it’s better to say nothing at all!

9. Explain the concept of language games
Wittgenstein
PUFF CAN!

10. PUFF CAN Philosophical Investigations
Changes his mind about religious language.
Rejects the Tractatus and thus also the verification principle.

11. PUFF CAN Use “Don’t ask for the meaning – ask for the use.”
All are called tools
Not everything has the same function
First look and see how they are used
So too does the meaning of words/language depend on its use, the user and situation.
“Don’t ask for the meaning – ask for the use.”

12. PUFF CAN Form of life Different contexts in which language is used.
E.g.?

13. PUFF CAN Football ‘Games’ applies to a range of diverse activities.
Different games have different rules, tactics and goals.
Games are learnt by participation.
There are different language games just as there are different ball games.
Rules vary according to context – form of life.
This can be applied to the language game called religion.
Religious language = meaningful within the religious form of life.
Conceptual confusion arises if the same rule/word is applied in different games.

14. PUFF CAN Category mistake
Misunderstanding religious language because you are not in the ‘game’.
E.g.?
RL is a separate LG with its own logic and rules of use. It cannot be judged by external rules - e.g. science
The empiricist challenge tried to fit RL into a scientific mould.

15. PUFF CAN
Anti realist E
Religious language is not about making statements that are true or false.

16. ive PUFF CAN Non-cognitive Non-factual.
ive
Non-cognitive
Non-factual.
Religious statements are not necessarily making claims about a transcendent reality.
Its meaning comes from within the religious ‘form of life’.

17. Explain the concept of language game
Let’s recap …

18. PUFF CAN
Philosophical Investigations

19. PUFF CAN
Use

20. PUFF CAN
Form of life

21. PUFF CAN
Football

22. PUFF CAN
Category mistake

23. PUFF CAN
Anti realist E

24. PUFF CAN
Non-cognitive
ive

25. Explain the concept of language games
Speak it out!
PUFF CAN

26. Coherence Theory of Truth
Language games are consistent with ‘coherence theory’ of truth
Coherence theory of truth states that the truth of any (true) proposition consists in its coherence with some specified set of propositions AKA how the language is UNDERSTOOD

27. Explain the concept of language games
Stand out from the crowd!
D. Z. Phillips
British philosopher
Supporter of Wittgenstein’s language game concept.
Key book: The Concept of Prayer (1965)

28. D.Z. Phillips Task: read the information on Phillips. Further notes …
Religion cannot be either grounded or criticised in reason – it is a system all of its own.
The ‘reality’ of God or religion does not lie in the abstract issue of whether God exists, but instead is located in the words and practice of religion.
What God is, is defined by the language game of faith.
Participating in this ‘game’ enables meaning to be understood.

29. D.Z. Phillips Quotes from ‘The Concept of Prayer’
“… to know how to use this language is to know God.”
“If a philosopher wants to give an account of religion, he must pay attention to what religious believers do and say … It is not the task of a philosopher to decide whether there is a God or not, but to ask what it means to affirm or deny the existence of God.”

30. Consolidation Task Try to answer these questions without looking back at your notes!
Name the book in which Wittgenstein said, “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
Name the book in which Wittgenstein proposes his concept of ‘Language Games’.
Define ‘Language game’.
Define ‘Form of life’ and give an example of one.
Define ‘category mistake’ and give an example of one.
Complete this quote from Wittgenstein: “Don’t ask for the meaning, ask …”
Complete this quote from Phillips: “… to know how to use this language is …”

31. Answers
Name the book in which Wittgenstein said, “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
Tractatus

32. Answers
Name the book in which Wittgenstein proposes his concept of ‘Language Games’.
Philosophical Investigations

33. Answers Define ‘Language game’.
Idea that the meaning of language can only be understood if the rules of its particular context are understood.

34. Answers Define ‘form of life’ and give an example of one.
The context in which language is used.
E.g. Education

35. Answers Define ‘category mistake’ and give an example of one.
Misunderstanding language because you’re not in the game.
E.g. Trying to locate the ‘soul’ as a physical object.

36. Answers
Complete this quote from Wittgenstein: “Don’t ask for the meaning, ask …”
“… for the use.”

37. Answers
Complete this quote from Phillips: “… to know how to use this language is …”
“… to know God.”

38. By the end of today’s lesson you will
Understand the concept of Religious Language as a LANGUAGE GAME as first expressed by LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN.
Have evaluated the extent to which language games provide a suitable way of resolving the problems of religious language.

39. AO2 – Evaluation Skills Card sort
“Language games provide a suitable way of resolving the problems of religious language.”
Evaluate this view.
Card sort

40. AO2 – Evaluation Skills
“Language games provide a suitable way of resolving the problems of religious language.” Evaluate this view.
PESEL
Point – Make a point/argument
Explain – Explain that point/argument
Support – Support the point using evidence, examples or reasoning. (Scholars are good to use here)
Evaluate – Is the argument any good? E.g. “This is a strong/weak point because …”
Link – Connect the paragraph to the question and to that which will follow.
End your essay with a CONCLUSION

41. By the end of today’s lesson you will
Understand the concept of Religious Language as a LANGUAGE GAME as first expressed by LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN.
Have evaluated the extent to which language games provide a suitable way of resolving the problems of religious language.