Without sharing certain attitudes towards the things around us, sharing a sense of relevance and responding in similar ways, communication would be impossible. It is important, for instance, that nearly all of us agree nearly all the time on what colors things are. Such agreement is part of our concept of color, Wittgenstein suggests. Regularity of the use of such concepts and agreement in their application is part of language, not a logically necessary precondition of it. We cannot separate the life in which there is such agreement from our concept of color. Imagine a different form or way of life and you imagine a different language with different concepts, different rules and a different logic.
This raises the question of the relation between language and forms or ways of life.
Gently lifted from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 6. Rules and Private Language
A dear friend once commented decades ago about my distinct lack of learning in Liberal Arts, "that a good liberal arts education would have added so much resonance to your life". Now nearly in my sixth decade a little resonance is coming around. Perhaps, it is never too late to learn, but this late in life, resonance comes with a distinct feeling of embarrassment at having known Wittgenstein's name for years but little else.
1 comment:
Love your Blogg & Picture George...nice to meet you...have to come back again to read more. You look and sound like a fun person!!!! Renate!
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