Philosophical Grammar 122

122. ‘Language’ is languages – Languages are systems.

It is units of language that I call “propositions”.

yes language – is languages

languages are systems?

well languages can be described as such –

but there are other descriptions –

i.e. – language as the ability to make audible – articulate – meaningful sound –

by the action of the vocal organs –

or language as the words – their pronunciation – and the methods of combining them that are used and understood by a particular community –

etc. –

languages can be and are ‘systematized’ –

but language is still whatever it is – with or without that description – or any other –

the point being – how you describe language – is open to question – open to doubt – is uncertain

language like any other phenomenon – is – in the absence of description – unknown –

we describe to make known –

and we will have different descriptions for different purposes –

there is no essential – no definite description –

any description – is simply a contingency that enables us – under the circumstances – to proceed –

‘It is units of language that I call “propositions”?

a proposition is a proposal –

we are of course familiar with the idea of the proposition – as a linguistic proposal –

but a proposal is not necessarily linguistic

I call a proposition – anything that human beings create – anything that is – that human beings propose

i.e. language – art –science –technology – philosophy – religion – etc. – and the fruits of any of these proposals –

the proposition is a proposal – that can take as many forms as humans beings can produce –

our world is propositional

and any proposition – any proposal – regardless of what form it takes – is open to question – to doubt – uncertain

© greg t. charlton. 2015.