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Essay on 20th Century Religious Language
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This essay mainly focusses on Wittgenstein and the criticisms of it
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“20th century language theories do not solve the problems of religious language”Discuss. (40 marks)
Religious language has been a topic of controversy and intense debate, with philosophers
divided over the issue of communicating with the divine. While advancements in language
theories in the 20th century have introduced new perspectives on religious language, they have
not necessarily resolved its inherent problems. In fact, these theories have simultaneously
addressed some issues while creating new ones, leaving unanswered questions that require
further exploration.
One argument against the efficacy of 20th century language theories in solving the problems of
religious language is their lack of a clear objective in relation to language itself. This can be
illustrated through Ludwig Wittgenstein's concept of language games. According to Wittgenstein,
language games represent different forms of language use that highlight the fact that speaking a
language is part of a broader activity or way of life. Michael Peters reinforces this idea by
suggesting that language games encompass various types of language and collectively
constitute a natural language. While this provides valuable insights into the nature of language, it
fails to address the specific value and significance of religious language. Wittgenstein's endeavor
primarily aimed to explore rather than provide definitive answers regarding religious language, as
his efforts were focused on demonstrating that what is perceived as rational or irrational is not
determined by inherent human nature. Consequently, language games offer valuable
understanding of language but fall short in explaining the distinct value of religious language. AJ
Ayer echoes this criticism, highlighting the challenge of treating religious language on par with
more serious forms of discourse, such as scientific or empirical discussions.
On the other hand, proponents argue that 20th century language theories do indeed resolve the
problems of religious language by fostering coherence in their approaches. This coherence can
be observed in theories such as the verification theory and the falsification theory. The
verification theory posits that statements can only be considered meaningful if they are
empirically verifiable. This idea aligns with David Hume's distinction between analytical and
synthetic statements, wherein the former requires no evidence because it is self-evident, while
the latter can be proven through empirical means. Various forms of the verification theory, such
as the weak verification theory, have emerged to accommodate hypothetical verification. While
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