The Philosopher’s Zone – How philosophy fell in love with language

Intro

In this episode of “The Philosopher’s Zone,” the linguistic turn in philosophy is explored. The linguistic turn refers to the dominance of language and its technical theorizing in philosophy. Crispin Sartwell reflects on whether this turn is coming to an end and what might follow it. The episode delves into the impact of the linguistic turn on philosophy as an academic discipline and its influence on other fields.

Main Takeaways

The Dominance of Language in Philosophy

• The linguistic turn is an idea that has dominated philosophy for roughly the past century.
• The linguistic turn is the process by which language and the technical theorizing of language began to be the name of the game in philosophy.
• The linguistic turn dominated analytic philosophy, continental philosophy, and loomed especially large in the work of the American philosopher Richard Rodi.
• Richard Rodi came to see philosophy as a subgenre of literature or poetry.

Philosophy as a Response to a Crisis

• The linguistic turn in philosophy was an attempt to find a subject matter that could be rendered clear and understood by everyone.
• It was a response to a professional crisis within the university system in the UK and US, where philosophy was seen as not making progress compared to the sciences.
• The turn towards linguistics dominated both the analytic and continental schools of philosophy throughout the 20th century.

The Scope of Philosophy and Its Impact on Other Fields

• One contention of the linguistic turn was that philosophical questions were matters of linguistic confusion that would disappear when language was clarified.
• The linguistic turn was also revisionist about the scope of philosophy, being skeptical of metaphysics and value theory.
• Analytic philosophy developed rigorous logic and linguistic analysis to make philosophy a respected academic discipline.
• The success of analytic philosophy led to the purging of older generations of metaphysicians and ethicists.
• The centrality of language to human experience became a popular view in anthropology around mid-century.

The Decline of the Linguistic Turn

• The linguistic turn has played itself out, and there is much less technical philosophy of language now.
• Richard Rorty predicted that philosophy would no longer exist in 20 years and that hermeneutics would be the successor.
• There has been a return to metaphysics and ethics in late 20th-century philosophy.
• Since around 2010, there has been a shift towards personal philosophy and self-help in the field.
• Philosophy is now being questioned for its practicality and usefulness in creating a better world.

The Rise of Personal Philosophy

• Confessional and accessible style of philosophy is becoming popular.
• Recovering ancient and Hellenistic philosophies to help people with problems.
• Writing in this style is transgressive in academia.
• Could this style of philosophy make traditional philosophy obsolete?
• The personal turn needs to be combined with traditional philosophical questions to make progress.
• New ideas are being developed from experiences, not just returning to old philosophies (David Rutledge).

Summary

The Dominance of Language in Philosophy

The linguistic turn in philosophy, which has prevailed for the past century, placed language and its technical theorizing at the forefront of philosophical inquiry. This turn heavily influenced analytic philosophy and continental philosophy, with Richard Rodi considering philosophy as a subgenre of literature or poetry.

Philosophy as a Response to a Crisis

The linguistic turn emerged as a response to a professional crisis within the university system, where philosophy was perceived as lacking progress compared to the sciences. Linguistics became the dominant approach in both analytic and continental philosophy, seeking to clarify philosophical questions through language analysis.

The Scope of Philosophy and Its Impact on Other Fields

One key aspect of the linguistic turn was its skepticism towards metaphysics and value theory, focusing instead on linguistic clarity. Analytic philosophy’s emphasis on rigorous logic and linguistic analysis elevated philosophy as an academic discipline and influenced anthropology’s understanding of language’s centrality to human experience.

The Decline of the Linguistic Turn

The linguistic turn has waned, resulting in less technical philosophy of language. Richard Rorty predicted the eventual disappearance of philosophy, with hermeneutics taking its place. However, there has been a resurgence of interest in metaphysics and ethics in late 20th-century philosophy, and a recent shift towards personal philosophy and self-help, questioning the practicality and utility of traditional philosophy.

The Rise of Personal Philosophy

A confessional and accessible style of philosophy has gained popularity, incorporating ancient and Hellenistic philosophies to address personal problems. This style challenges academic norms and raises questions about the future of traditional philosophy. Combining personal experiences with traditional philosophical questions is seen as essential for progress, as new ideas are developed from lived experiences rather than solely relying on old philosophies.

Conclusion

The linguistic turn in philosophy, with its focus on language and linguistic analysis, has shaped the discipline for the past century. However, there are signs of its decline, as philosophy explores new avenues such as personal philosophy and self-help. The future of philosophy lies in combining personal experiences with traditional philosophical questions, allowing for progress and the development of new ideas.