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Question:"I remain convinced that obstinate addiction to ordinary language in our private thoughts is one of the main obstacles to progress in philosophy. "

What does ordinary language have to do with Philosophy anyway?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: "I remain convinced that obstinate addiction to ordinary language in our private thoughts is one of the main obstacles to progress in philosophy. "

What does ordinary language have to do with Philosophy anyway?
I don't know who said that. However, as a beginning philosophy student, here's my take:

Specific language is key to personal growth. If, for instance, a person says,"President Bush is stupid! I hate him!", I would disagree. I disapprove of nearly everything that the man has done, and I wish he had never been elected. However, to say that he is 'stupid' is to assume that you know exactly how intelligent he is. Perhaps he is accomplishing exactly what he set out to do. He certainly played his political cards in a very savvy way...with a very small public service record, he claimed the Oval Office twice in a row.

My point is that when a person reduces his/her self to thinking in such general terms, it also reduces the mind's ability to think in complex ways. We fall into patterns, stereotyping and pre-judging without analysing the situation. I don't think you need to use technical terms in everyday life, but you should be clear with yourself and those around you about WHY you believe the things that you believe. Otherwise, you are just a trained monkey, thinking the thoughts that someone else has programmed you to believe.
M3_Shall and Morpheus were both right. It was Bertrand Russell who said the quote. Report It

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  • Zxypher's Avatar by Zxypher
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    • Not sure who wrote it but I do agree. Ordinary language is the spoken language. Words do not do philosophy a favor. They restrict the flow of passing on ideas to others. Pictures are worth a thousand words.
    That's a strange quote, I don't really get it. Maybe the speaker is saying that instead of constantly pushing ourselves to dwell on more complicated ideas, thoughts, etc., and pursuing solutions to complex problems, we often lapse into ordinary thought and language within our own heads. And so we don't get to those higher levels of intellect.

    That's my best guess! lol
    Is it.... Bertrand Russell.

    Actually... the quote does make a good argument.

    I would have to say that I agree with this quote.

    What about this one....

    Every philosophical problem, when it is subjected to the necessary analysis and justification, is found either to be not really philosophical at all, or else to be, in the sense in which we are using the word, logical.
    I tend to agree.

    I have once heard a confusing argument between two people differentiating the meanings of "respect" and "polite". It is good enough to convince me that people only think they mean the same thing even when they speak the same language using the same words on abstract matter.

    As for the role ordinary language plays on philosophy, that would be like the role of a pool of mud on a wrestling match. It may be fun for spectators to watch, but it ain't going to be pretty for the contestants.
    I don't know who said that, but i believe it.

    I've always considered peoples lazyness with verbs. People use is, be and have (and other forms of the word) and they use pronouns loosely and with carelessness. THEY make THEIR sentences HAVE vague meaning. You see what I did there?
    I believe it was an article on language and agreement by Whitmore. Precisely...what does ordinary language....???
    The Columbia World of Quotations. 1996.
    http://www.bartleby.com/66/86/47686.html

    NUMBER: 47686
    QUOTATION: I remain convinced that obstinate addiction to ordinary language in our private thoughts is one of the main obstacles to progress in philosophy.
    ATTRIBUTION: Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), British philosopher, mathematician, activist, pacifist. Library of Living Philosophers: The Philosophy of Bertrand Russell, p. 694, ed. P. Schilpp (1944).

    One of the author’s many expressions of his preference for an ideal or logically perfect language over ordinary language.
    BIOGRAPHY: Columbia Encyclopedia.

    ME!

    .
    I think the writer means we resist change in our private thoughts and that's certainly true. He or she seems to have latched on to new language as the symbol of new thinking. And, perhaps new thoughts do require new language. But I think language is not the issue - it's familiarity of thoughts. It's unsettling to find our innermost thoughts and feelings changing. It happens, but it's unsettling.


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