Language is taught through imprinting in the brain. It is a wholly cultural concept; no language genes, no universal grammar, no abstract truth of objects, no analytical value outside of a descriptive notion of how we go about creating and using it. And every word you know is not the same word that others know. When I say "fish", it is not the same "fish" that you know. Sure, there are lots of similarities, but there are lots of differences. Even the words in between our "important" words, like "and" or "maybe" are not the same. When I say "and", it is not the same "and" that you know. Or that anyone else knows, or the same that anyone throughout the whole of history of human-kind knows. Sure there are similarities, but they are simply not the same. Just similar. Similar enough for us to think we understand each other.
Wittgenstein's language games are far more extreme than I think even he thought it was like; it's word games, and context games, and semiotic games, and smell games, and patterns in the brain games. And patterns in the brain games include all of that which is you; emotions, imagination, reactions, ponderings, likes and hates, loves and ignorants, the extent of your knowledge and the limits to your perception, everything. We know that your emotional state changes with the weather, that your ethical sense changes with the smell of coffee, and that your judgement follows whims more than reason.
Wittgenstein's language games are far more extreme than I think even he thought it was like; it's word games, and context games, and semiotic games, and smell games, and patterns in the brain games. And patterns in the brain games include all of that which is you; emotions, imagination, reactions, ponderings, likes and hates, loves and ignorants, the extent of your knowledge and the limits to your perception, everything. We know that your emotional state changes with the weather, that your ethical sense changes with the smell of coffee, and that your judgement follows whims more than reason.
Comments
Post a Comment
All are allowed to comment here, I don't discriminate against anyone's opinion (ie. I delete nothing, except spam and bad personal attacks). Don't be too rude, try to stay polite, but above all, engage using your best arguments, especially towards other commenters (they may not laugh it off as easily as I do). And allow some air between paragraphs and rebuts. Don't get off the lawn. Have fun. Enjoy.