2. Understanding and signs. Frege against the formalists. Understanding
like seeing a picture that makes all the rules clear; in that case the picture
is itself a sign, a calculus.
“To understand a language” – to take a symbolism as a whole.
Language must speak for itself.
seeing a picture that makes all the rules clear – is not seeing the
possibilities of the picture
seeing the possibilities of a picture – is understanding the picture
yes – the picture is a sign – and as with any sign – open to question –
open to doubt
to understand a language is to engage with it – to recognize its
possibilities
language must speak for itself –
and what language says – when language speaks for itself – is whatever
it is said to say
© greg t. charlton. 2014.