Man is a knowing being, and this single fact has been responsible for the various dimensions his life has taken, from time immemorial. The early man desired to know and discern ways of ensuring his subsistence, hence the birth of agriculture and its concomitant methods, which have been pertinent, to this day. Also, great thinkers arose at different epochs in history, to enable the intellectually blind, see.


It would be incomplete mentioning some of these distinguished thinkers without acknowledging one of the influential philosophers of the 20th century, Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose seminal treatise made all and sundry see the potentials of human language. Philosophical Investigations, authored by this philosopher of German origin, was basically a modification of his earlier work--Tractatus Logico Philosophicus--which described language as having only one function; picturing reality. Having critically examined this first view of his, Wittgenstein deduced that language was capable of functioning in diverse ways, instead of just reflecting what is. Thus, his novel view demonstrated that language is flexible, as it could be used to command, greet, pray, teach, and so on. Additionally, Wittgenstein harped on the need for language rules to be strictly adhered to, for the sake of meaningfulness, irrespective of the ways language is used. This birthed his famous language-game theory.


However, it is salient to say that Wittgenstein's latest perception of the nature of language, is significant in many ways. Most importantly, it depicts the dynamism of human knowledge and relevance of re-examining our viewpoints on certain issues, for we could be wrong after all. It emphasizes open-mindedness and Pragmatist Charles Sanders Pierce's Theory of Fallibilism, that no idea is immune to error. This mode of thinking portends constant growth in what is knowable, deters dogmatism, and fosters advancement in knowledge.


Kaycee Naze
(Rational Pen)

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