UPSC Exam  >  UPSC Notes  >  Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC  >  Saying and Showing (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein)

Saying and Showing (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein) | Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC PDF Download

Introduction


Context and Origins of Philosophy of Language

  • Philosophy of language: A branch of philosophy exploring language's nature, origin, and use.
  • Fundamental questions: What is meaning? How do words refer to the world? Language-thought relationship.
  • Ancient roots: Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle.
  • 20th-century focus: Analytic philosophy emphasizing clarity, precision, and logical analysis.
  • Key figures: G.E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Role of Saying and Showing in Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein

  • Saying: Expressing information in language.
  • Showing: Making something evident without stating it.
  • Explores language's limits and its representation of the world.
  • Moore used it to defend common beliefs.
  • Russell applied it in logical atomism.
  • Wittgenstein used it to understand language's limits.

Impact and Continuity of Saying and Showing in Contemporary Discussions

G.E. Moore: Defense of Commonsense


Moore’s Commonsense Philosophy

  • Emphasizes everyday beliefs and experiences as a philosophical starting point.
  • Counters skepticism and idealism.
  • "Proof of an external world": Demonstrated external reality through ordinary experience.

Saying and Showing in Moore’s Arguments

  • Distinguishes between saying and showing.
  • Argues that showing through experience is more reliable than abstract philosophical arguments.
  • Critics question the validity of Moore's approach.

Bertrand Russell: Logical Atomism


Russell’s Logical Atomism

  • Analyzes complex statements into basic "logical atoms."
  • Influenced by logic, set theory, and the theory of types.
  • Focuses on logical structure of language.

Saying and Showing in Russell’s Theory of Descriptions

  • Introduces incomplete symbols.
  • Shows relationships between objects and properties.
  • Complex statements can be reduced to atomic components.

Ludwig Wittgenstein: Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus


Wittgenstein’s Early Philosophy

  • Presented in the Tractatus.
  • Aims to explain language's logical structure and its relation to the world.
  • Picture theory of meaning: Language represents the world through "pictures."

Saying and Showing in the Tractatus

  • Distinguishes between saying and showing.
  • Language mirrors logical structure of the world.
  • Certain aspects of the world can only be shown, not said.
  • Critics debate Wittgenstein's distinction.

Comparing Saying and Showing in Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein


Similarities

  • All influential figures in analytic philosophy.
  • Use saying and showing to explore language's limits and world representation.
  • Emphasize language's logical structure.

Differences

  • Moore: Defends commonsense, values experience.
  • Russell: Develops logical atomism, analyzes relationships.
  • Wittgenstein: Focuses on language's limits, highlights representation.

Influence on Each Other's Work

  • Russell influenced by Moore's commonsense philosophy.
  • Wittgenstein influenced by Russell's logic and philosophy of language.
  • Dialogue and debate among the three philosophers.

Impact on Analytic Philosophy

  • Contributions shape analytic philosophy.
  • Influence on meaning, reference, and truth studies.
  • Ideas remain relevant in contemporary discussions.

Criticisms and Counterarguments


Criticisms of Moore’s Defense of Commonsense

  • Over-reliance on intuition and experience.
  • "Proof of an external world" questioned.
  • Critics debate the value of showing over saying.

Criticisms of Russell’s Logical Atomism

  • Oversimplification and reductionism.
  • Concerns about reducing complex statements to atomic components.
  • Criticisms of incomplete symbols and distinction between saying and showing.

Criticisms of Wittgenstein’s Picture Theory of Meaning

  • Oversimplification of language.
  • Doubts about language mirroring the world's logical structure.
  • Criticisms of Wittgenstein's distinction between saying and showing.

Counterarguments and Responses

  • Moore's defense balances skepticism, values everyday experience.
  • Russell's approach offers insights despite criticisms.
  • Wittgenstein's perspective provides valuable insights on language and meaning.

Saying and Showing in Later Analytic Philosophy


Legacy in Later Analytic Philosophy

  • Austin explores performative aspects.
  • Ryle critiques Cartesian dualism.
  • Quine delves into indeterminacy of translation.
  • Developments and modifications of saying and showing.

Continuing Relevance in Contemporary Philosophy of Language

  • Current philosophers engage with these concepts.
  • Exploration of language's limits, meaning, and context.
  • Saying and showing remain relevant in contemporary debates.

Conclusion


  • Saying and showing, introduced by Moore, Russell, and early Wittgenstein, continue to shape the philosophy of language.
  • Concepts remain influential and relevant in contemporary discussions of meaning, reference, and understanding.
The document Saying and Showing (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein) | Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC is a part of the UPSC Course Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC.
All you need of UPSC at this link: UPSC
144 docs

Top Courses for UPSC

144 docs
Download as PDF
Explore Courses for UPSC exam

Top Courses for UPSC

Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev
Related Searches

study material

,

video lectures

,

Saying and Showing (Moore

,

Important questions

,

Free

,

Summary

,

Extra Questions

,

and Early Wittgenstein) | Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC

,

Sample Paper

,

Previous Year Questions with Solutions

,

Russell

,

Objective type Questions

,

Russell

,

Russell

,

Viva Questions

,

past year papers

,

pdf

,

practice quizzes

,

Exam

,

Saying and Showing (Moore

,

and Early Wittgenstein) | Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC

,

Semester Notes

,

MCQs

,

Saying and Showing (Moore

,

ppt

,

mock tests for examination

,

shortcuts and tricks

,

and Early Wittgenstein) | Philosophy Optional Notes for UPSC

;