Language & Meaning: Crash Course Philosophy #26

Summary

This Crash Course Games episode delves into the complexity of defining 'game,' challenging traditional notions of competition and fun. It introduces philosophical perspectives on language and meaning, particularly Frege's concepts of 'sense' and 'reference.' Wittgenstein's ideas on 'family resemblance' and 'cluster concepts' are explored to explain the fluidity of word meanings within linguistic communities. The episode ponders the legitimacy of word meanings and the role of use in defining them, suggesting an experiment to create new meanings and highlighting the difference between speaker and audience meanings.

Takeaways

• 🎲 The script explores the difficulty in defining what constitutes a 'game', challenging the idea that games are strictly competitive activities with winners and losers.
• 🤔 It questions whether games require a minimum number of players, using solitaire as an example of a game that can be played alone.
• 🎉 The script suggests that games might be defined by their fun aspect, but then ponders activities that are not typically considered fun, like 'who can stay quiet the longest'.
• 🗣️ Philosophers of language are introduced as they grapple with the meaning of words, using 'game', 'red', and 'banana' as examples.
• 🧠 Language is described as a tool for transferring thoughts from one brain to another, likened to telepathy with the added step of verbal or written communication.
• 📚 German philosopher Gottlob Frege's concept of 'sense' and 'reference' is introduced to explain the different ways words can point to the same object or concept.
• 🔍 The traditional view of definitions as meeting necessary and sufficient conditions is discussed, with the example of bachelorhood.
• 🏡 Ludwig Wittgenstein's critique of rigid definitions is presented, arguing that for some concepts like 'game', a universally satisfying definition is unattainable.
• 👪 Wittgenstein introduces the idea of 'family resemblance' and 'cluster concepts' to explain how words can have related but not identical meanings within a group of associated concepts.
• 🌐 The script touches on the idea that language and its meanings are dynamic, changing with use and community agreement, encapsulated by Wittgenstein's phrase 'meaning is use'.
• 🔑 The concept of 'private language' is introduced as a thought experiment to illustrate the challenges of using language to communicate subjective experiences.

Q & A

What is the traditional view of defining a word?

The traditional view of defining a word is to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions that exclude all non-X's and include all X's, where X is the term being defined.

What is the difference between a necessary and a sufficient condition in definitions?

A necessary condition is what must be present for a thing to be a thing, while a sufficient condition is something that's enough for a thing to be a thing, but it's not required for that thing to meet that definition.

How does Ludwig Wittgenstein challenge the traditional view of definitions?

Ludwig Wittgenstein challenges the traditional view by arguing that it's not possible to define words like 'game' in a way that satisfies everyone, as any definition will have counterexamples.

What is Wittgenstein's concept of 'family resemblance'?

Wittgenstein's concept of 'family resemblance' suggests that words don't have a single element in common but share something with some other members of the group, similar to how family members share traits.

What does Wittgenstein mean by 'meaning is use'?

Wittgenstein's phrase 'meaning is use' implies that the meaning of a word is determined by how a linguistic community uses it, rather than by rigid definitions.

What is the difference between speaker meaning and audience meaning?

Speaker meaning is what the speaker intends when using a word, while audience meaning is what the audience understands from the word. They should ideally match for effective communication.

What is the concept of a 'private language' as discussed by Wittgenstein?

Wittgenstein's concept of a 'private language' refers to a language that only one person understands, suggesting that such a language is impossible because language requires a shared understanding within a community.

How does the script relate the concept of 'beetles in a box' to the understanding of language?

The 'beetles in a box' concept illustrates that we cannot know if our subjective experiences, like the color red, are the same as others', and thus language can only refer to publicly observable aspects.

What is the significance of the experiment proposed at the end of the script?

The experiment of referring to bananas as 'chom choms' is meant to explore whether a linguistic community can create new meanings through use and agreement.

How does the script suggest language evolves?

The script suggests that language evolves through the creation of new words as needed and the falling out of use or changing of meanings of existing words, reflecting the dynamic nature of language.

What role do linguistic communities play in determining the meaning of words?

Linguistic communities play a crucial role in determining the meaning of words by their use and agreement, which can lead to the acceptance or rejection of new or existing meanings.