Saturday May 8, 2004

Slab!

Aphorism 2 from Wittgenstein's
Philosophical Investigations
with commentary on the right
by Lois Shawver

Let us imagine a language …The language is meant to serve for communication between a builder A and an assistant B.  A is building with building-stones; there are blocks, pillars, slabs and beams.  B has to pass the stones, and that in the order in which A needs them.  For this purpose they use a language consisting of the words 'block', 'pillar', 'slab', 'beam.'  A calls them out; — B brings the stone which he has learnt to bring at such-and-such a call. — Conceive this as a complete primitive language.

… this passage describes the prototypic primitive language-game….

There are piles of pillars, slabs, blocks and beams.  The supervisor calls out "Slab!" and the worker brings a slab and sets it at the supervisor's feet.  Pretty simple.

Wittgenstein puts forth [this] language-game in order to try to envision a language in which Augustine's picture of language works.

Click on pictures for details.

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3 Comments

  1. “B has to pass the stones…”

    What a side-splitter!

  2. i dont get it…..

    plz explain it to me sumtime, post a comment on my xanga sumtime.

  3. ty o well if i dont get it, im 13 so im not supposed to. no offence but u ppl have really lame “in” jokes…..smartasses lol 😛

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