Philosophical Grammar 26

26. So how does it come about that on the strength of this definition we understand the word?

What’s the sign of someone’s understanding a game? Can’t he learn a game by simply watching it being played? Learning and speaking without explicit rules. We are always comparing language with a game according to rules.

definitions are directives for use –

understanding will come with use

how does it come about?

what it amounts – how it comes about –

is the occasion for more language use –

for proposals – propositions –

any proposal – any proposition –

will be a response to uncertainty –

it may be useful – it may not –

language goes on without definitiveness –

and any claim to definitiveness – to certainty –

is rhetoric – plain and simple –

logically speaking any proposal – is open to question –

open to doubt – uncertain

what’s the sign of someone’s understanding a game?

in any final sense – we don’t know –

we take what we are given –

and make a decision – one way or the other

the truth is we use language – without knowing

it is if you kike a logical structure –

we climb along

we operate in contests of use –

and make decisions –

these decisions can be explained in term of rules –

that is a common account –

an account that gives the appearance of foundation –

to language to knowledge –

some find this pretence –

comforting

 © greg t. charlton. 2014.