Philosophy of Language: Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Concepts of “Language Game” and Context-Specificity of Language

Abstract

This paper looks into how Ludwig Wittgenstein introduces language as context-based, which functions through language-game, rejecting the traditional idea of language having a fixed and universal meaning. Similar to different games, language functions dynamically on the basis of various contexts and social practices rather than a rigid system as some previously conceived. He does not approve the idea that words of a language have intrinsic meaning, but as he proposes it is based on their uses in specific language games, where the understanding of a sentence or a word is dependent on recognising their roles in specific contexts. Thus, dispelling the idea that language is governed by strict, predetermined rules, he introduces his idea of language as fluid, practical and deeply linked with communal life. The paper also inquires Wittgenstein’s observation that most of the philosophical problems arise by misunderstanding the ordinary use of language which can be dissolved by comprehending the importance of context in meaning-making.