The Philosophical Concept of the Language Games - Essay Example

Wittgenstein argues that people create the meaning of words in the context of language games. Whilst watching soccer, the philosophical idea occurred to Ludwig that in case a person without soccer knowledge is watching a football match, the game would seem meaningless to him. Therefore, for him to understand the meaning of the football game, he should first recognize the rules applied in the soccer game. However, confusion erupts when people use the language according to rules inappropriate to the circumstances.

This confusion arises in case people do not understand the context of the language rules imposed upon a certain discourse. In fact, one cannot understand the truth from untruth, but those who understand the rules of the language game can only find the similarities and differences in other games (Kuusela 46). This is because the rules of the language games are inherently different; thus to understand them appropriately, one should first understand the rules applied in the language games. Other philosophers such as Socrates, Parmenides, Hume, and other people such as Heraclitus and Nietzsche went wrong in their thinking.

For instance, Nietzsche wrote critical texts about religion, science, and philosophy in an ironical, metaphorical, and aphoristic way. Socrates also understood language in different ways; thus, they presented their philosophical ideas in different contexts without following the rules applied in the language games.