PHILOSOPHY OF

LANGUAGE
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Index 4 Important authors

1 Definition 5 Personal opinion

2 History of philosophy of
language
3 Typical questions
 Definition
The philosophy of language is the branch of
philosophical inquiry concerned with questions related
to the nature, use and limits of language as a medium
between language-users and between them and the
world.
Typical questions about philosophy of language
Do words merely describe
Can there be thought
the world, or do they
outside language?
define perception?

Is it possible to escape the Does meaning come from

confines of language universal truths or is it
when doing philosophy? invoked by linguistic rules?

How is language
related to actions?
History of philosophy of
language
Language is a fundamental aspect for the human species
and its development. That is why, since ancient times, it
has been approached by philosophy from different
angles. It began to appear from ancient philosophy to the
present.

The previos questions and similar questions have been

discussed by philosophers since antiquity, but it was not
until the second half of the nineteenth century that
philosophy of language began to emerge as a
philosophical field.
 Authors
THE LIMITS OF MY LANGUAGE ARE THE LIMITS OF
MY WORLD
Language is made up of
Any proposition that
propositions: assertions about
does not picture facts is
things, which may be true or Lwdwig meaningless—for
false.
Wittgenstein example “killing is
The world is made up of facts:
bad.”
things are a certain way.
Propositions are “pictures” of
(1889-1951) My language is
facts, in the same way that therefore limited to
maps are pictures of the statements of facts
world. about the world.
 Authors
REASON LIVES IN LANGUAGE

Whenever I see the

“Language” is the face of another
way that we Emmanuel person, the fact that
communicate with Levinas this is another
others even before human being and
we have started to
(1906-1995) that I have a
speak. responsibility for
them is instantly
communicated.
 Authors
LANGUAGE IS A SOCIAL ART

Words are meaningful

to us, because we
become used to the
Willard Van The way that
ways in which they are Orman Quine language is used
used by others… not socially makes it
because there is a link
(1908-2000)
meaningful.
between words and
actual things.
 Authors
LANGUAGE IS A SKIN

The lover’s When I write or

language “trembles speak about love, my
with desire.” language “rubs
Roland Barthes
All philosophy against” the secret
about love is (1915-1980) object of my desire.
addressed toward a Language affects the
particular object of other like skin-on-
desire. skin contact.
Personal We can all observe that the philosophy of

Opinion
language, as I have already said, has been
present for many years and is something
very necessary in our lives. Language
itself is what moves us, it is essential; the
philosophy of language is in charge of
"studying it" and thus we can see its
limits among other things.