Single Idea 7001

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 5. Linguistic Analysis]

Full Idea

If you start with language and try to work your way outwards, you will never get outside language.

Gist of Idea

If you begin philosophy with language, you find yourself trapped in it

Source

John Heil (From an Ontological Point of View [2003], Pref)

Book Reference

Heil,John: 'From an Ontological Point of View' [OUP 2005], p.-9


A Reaction

This voices my pessimism about the linguistic approach to philosophy (and I don't just mean analysis of ordinary language), though I wonder if the career of (say) John Searle is a counterexample.