Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philosophy - Essay Example he possibility of the program itself, that is, the general program which is what constitutes the context of the picture theory of meaning is ascribe and ascertain a "totality of facts". He claims at the outset of the text that "the world is the totality of facts, not of things"[Tract. 1.1]. So, to take this absurdity one step further, a metaphor is necessary to describe this wider program. Wittgenstein's picture theory, once reduced to being either factually true or factually false, is equivalent to an attempt to draw a map of the world on a 1:1 ratio. That is, a picture perfect image where there is no discernible difference between the difference of the description of things, alongside with the very description itself. This is of course, close to being impossible, the world which Wittgenstein is referring to is a world of "facts", and the picture theory of meaning is one which is not describing the world of the senses, although the senses can often perceive factually true phenomena. To use a metaphor from a fairly obtuse philosopher, Martin Heidegger, there is a distinction between the "earth and world" for Wittgenstein, and if one mistakes his world for the earth (or, that which is perceived by the senses), then, one lapses into viewing the totality of facts as pictured, as achieving nothing less than a map of the earth on a 1:1 ratio. This is of course absurd, which is in a sense why one has to view the Tractatus as a type of idealism., and more importantly a theory of ontology or of the nature of reality. Further, his concern resembles more of a possible world than an actual world in this regard, and one might phrase this program in the following way: supposing one wanted to exhaust the possibilities of truth, what type of formal system along with its... Exhausting the limits of reason concerning reality, perhaps there is another and more ‘silent’ means which Wittgenstein sought in order to establish to fulfil what Max Black refers to as the â€Å"metaphysical obsession†. It is ultimately difficult to ‘transcend’ the ‘otherness’ of social existence, or social life, and therefore, such an attempt can really only provide for a state of alienation, and arguably a form of false consciousness. Heidegger characterizes human existence as 'being-in-the-world'. This expression contains two notions: 'being-in' and 'in-the-world'. Thus, human existence is essentially 'being-in'. It involves the idea of 'there'(Da). So human existence is the 'Da' of the 'Sein' of the world. The main concern, of this section is to dwell on the nature of Dasein by analyzing the way in which Dasein is in his 'there', viz., his 'being-in'. In elaborating this point, we will consider the meaning and modes of Dasein's 'being-in' and knowing the world as a typical mode of Dasein's 'being-in'. concepts which are essentially a private language? The language of everydayness is important because it says a lot about what Heidegger meant by language. That is, even though what was being talked about had a somewhat negative connotation. The line between the social and the individual is one that is at the forefront of consideration. 'Being in the World' is a fundamental fact about human existence, but so too with finitude. Part of being socialised, involves a relationship with language and one of the forms or types of language that Heidegger is most critical of, is the language associated with the throwness of everydayness, which is a mouthful. Our struggle with language as individuals, is a struggle with finitude or our own finitude which stands as a 'fact' about our ontology.