Austin -
thoughts around 'A plea for excuses'
excuses?
a reason given when asked for - called for -
demanded by the context
is there any definitive description of any action?
and if so what is the logic of this?
language may appear from some perspective to be
its standard - but this is to objectify it -
to make it so
it is to separate it out as an object of study
we could ask - why does this happen?
in short it happens because language is no fixed
set of meanings
what I mean when I say - X is a - you may question -
and argue for different understanding of - X
meaning here is a focus -
strictly speaking - meaning - is an empty form -
language moves through
it is circumstance that halts the flow
stops - on the journey
so here meaning is an ideal - language approximates -
reaches for -
language is the worker
meaning is unreachable in any necessary sense
this is not a failure
this is the reality
the strength
this view of language is a consequence of objectifying
language - and further objectifying meaning
we don't need to regard this as anything other than
what it is - reflection on phenomena
certain questions can lead to this kind of inquiry
this is not ordinary language
this is reflection on - analysis of - issues that ordinary
language has no interest in
what we are dealing with is extraordinary language
it is that dimension of thought and language that is
particular to an extraordinary discourse
what I am suggesting is both a meta and normative
analysis here
ordinary language is just what it is
if you start questioning meaning and this leads to
the objectification of language - and to the concept
of meaning - what I say you are doing is looking for
a meta language
for ordinary language
and normatively - what I mean is - the concept of
meaning is an ideal - empty of content -
here we can go in a number of ways: -
- we can say there is no meaning as such
- everything is meaningful (no meaninglessness)
- the issue has nothing to do with (the actual)
meaning of language usage
so the questions of the nature of language and meaning
are not to do with what goes on - what happens
it's about placing language in a theoretical context
it's about creating a background picture - a backdrop -
for the play of language
philosophical theatre?
the great value of an ordinary language view - at least
this is the idea - is the beauty of - the clarity of -
action and reaction in empty space -
