Greg Detre
@12 on 6/11/00
missing page 1
stripping from the meaning of the words any reference to private objects
Locke: distinction between private reference + privat emeaning
private nature, common experience
Wittgenstein as behaviourist � �pain� as replacing crying + pain-behaviour
but separate ontological + semantic facts
private language as separate from Wittgenstein�s motives
if defeat other minds scepticism, contrary to common sense, redefine sensation-words in terms of pain-behaviour
Wittgenstein is not directly addressing the problem of other minds, but his remarks are intended to be useful in the debate
he�s hoping that he problem will just disappear with this new understanding of how we alk� about sensations/experience
philosophy as therapy: remedying cognitive ills in use of language in contemplation
philosophy leaves everything as it is
common sense:
traditional philosophical reflection (Wittgenstein is anti)
the actual meanings (Wittgenstein is trying to remind us of this)
central misconception of the PL arg � that we define sensation-words by introspection
when you go to the doctor and he�ll press you and ask whether that�s the type of pain you were having
so you can remember and recognise a sensation, though you may not be able to name it
so if you can detect + remember sensation to a limited degree, then you can abstract that sensation on 3 occurrences to �S�
intro/extrospection � does extrospection play a role in learning words? YES, you tell them about red by pointing to a post box/fire engine
meaning as a process of honing in on/induction
language learning = linking terms with experience (for some language-learning)
surely the experience of pain plays some role in learning pain?
else how does the child link �pain� with pain?
�pain� doesn't describe your pain, it replaces your pain-behaviour
placing emphasis on innate pain behaviour � without that primitive expression, there wouldn't be anything for �pain� to replace
if we�re not describing our pain, then it is not knowledge we�re expressing in the same way that crying isn't describing yourself, it�s expressing it
expressivist approach
takes away truth, knowledge + description and gives us socialised versions of these naturalised expressions
how do we learn this new pain-behaviour? innate human language-learning
Wittgenstein ≈ Berkeley
does/can language function in >1 way???
*describe*
types of tummyache as complicated sensations that are difficult to name
how do we learn our original pain behaviour?