Now of course there is a language-game in
which the child uses that sentence.
This presupposes that the child is already capable of using the name as soon as
he is given it. (As if someone were to tell me “this colour is called…”.) –
Thus, if the child has learnt a language-game with building stones, one can say
something like “ and this stone is
called’…’, and in this way the original language-game has been expanded.
‘and this stone is called …’ –
is an expansion or perhaps more correctly –
an explanation –
of the original language-game
I think Wittgenstein wants to suggest that
‘I know’ is a further expansion?
naming – like any propositional action –
is essentially – uncertain
‘I know’ – if it is a claim of certainty –
does not expand the original language-game
–
it corrupts it
© greg t. charlton. 2010.
