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Full Idea
Ordinary language is not the last word: in principle it can everywhere be supplemented and improved upon and superseded. Only remember, it is the first word.
Gist of Idea
Ordinary language is the beginning of philosophy, but there is much more to it
Source
J.L. Austin (A Plea for Excuses [1956], p.185), quoted by A.W. Moore - The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics Intro
Book Ref
Moore,A.W.: 'The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics' [CUP 2013], p.11
A Reaction
To claim anything more would be absurd. The point is that this remark comes from the high priest of ordinary language philosophy.
| 21960 | Ordinary language is the beginning of philosophy, but there is much more to it [Austin,JL] |
| 21598 | Austin revealed many meanings for 'vague': rough, ambiguous, general, incomplete... [Austin,JL, by Williamson] |
| 10835 | True sentences says the appropriate descriptive thing on the appropriate demonstrative occasion [Austin,JL] |
| 10836 | Correspondence theorists shouldn't think that a country has just one accurate map [Austin,JL] |