Wittgenstein, Grammar, God
On 2023/2/15, I came across a book titled The Influence and Possibility of Wittgenstein in Philosophy of Religion, which applies Wittgenstein's concept of "grammar" to the study of religion and provides a perspective that goes beyond naturalism, relativism, and reductionism in philosophy of religion. The book focuses specifically on Christianity and explores the possibility of maintaining the potential for communication and dialogue between the language game of Christianity and other language games, while preserving the uniqueness of religious language. It raises questions about what external entities can understand and not understand about a certain religion and emphasizes that the meaning of religious language ultimately comes from the commitment of believers. The book also discusses the role of ideology and the paradigm of science in this context. In the preface by the translator, it is interpreted that Wittgenstein has always discussed "religion." The author's own values regarding God underwent a significant change during World War I, as reflected in his drafts from 1918-1926. He explores the meaning of life, which can be referred to as God, and states that prayer is a contemplation about the meaning of the world. He acknowledges that he has no power to control the events of the world through his will and that he is completely powerless. Believing in God means understanding the question about the meaning of life and perceiving that life has meaning. Wittgenstein argues that religion cannot be expressed in words alone. It is the practice and way of life that give meaning to religion. Each Language Game is self-contained and has its own logical structure and system. The concepts of truth, fact, meaning, evidence, proof, reality, and rationality are determined by the language game in which they are used. For example, in the language game of Christianity, the existence of God is considered "truth," "fact," and "meaningful," with supporting evidence. However, in the language game of Atheism, it is not considered "truth," "fact," or "meaningful," and there is no supporting evidence, but rather opposing evidence. Wittgenstein's work Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus aims to explain how we can construct precise and meaningful statements. However, it does not provide a detailed explanation of the nature of language itself. The functions of language need to be demonstrated through Metaphor and Myth. The book ultimately concludes that the relationship between language and the world cannot be expressed in words. Propositions become meaningless when they refer back to themselves. Therefore, the famous quote "We must remain silent about the untellable" fits perfectly with the idea that the logical form of propositions, which can describe existence, cannot be expressed. In his reflections, Wittgenstein recalls a moment when his attitude towards religion changed. He watched a play in Vienna where one of the characters said, "No matter what happens in this world, the self is not troubled." This character displayed a stoic attitude of independence towards fate and circumstances. Wittgenstein was deeply impressed by this perspective and realized the possibility of religion for the first time. The question of "how the world is" is closely related to the original meaning of the "mysterious" in Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. According to Philips, when all faith is completely lost, God does not play any role in the religious image that individuals hold. Therefore, it only makes sense to talk about the present, when there are believers with a religious image. Even in hypothetical cases where faith is lost in the future, Philips firmly denies any attempt to discuss the existence of a God that depends on nothing. However, believers maintain their relationship with the existence of God through practices such as Meditation, Focused Attention, and Abstinent Self-control. This is what we mean by the existence of God in the language they use. This existence is independent of any believer. However, this independence does not mean that it is independent of the lives of individual believers. The existence of God is independent from believers, but it is evaluated in relation to the meaning that followers' lives have in relation to it.
In Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Wittgenstein discusses the aim of the book in his correspondence with Ludwig Ficker. He emphasizes that the essence of language and the function of propositions need to be demonstrated through Metaphor and Myth. The book attempts to achieve this goal but falls short. It states that the relationship between language and the world cannot be expressed in words. Therefore, propositions referring to themselves become meaningless. The famous quote "We must remain silent about the untellable" is a fitting conclusion, as it aligns with the idea that the logical form of propositions, which can describe existence, cannot be expressed. Albert Camus provides a concise and vivid explanation of Image in his work The Myth of Sisyphus. He portrays Sisyphus as an Absurd Hero who is condemned to endlessly push a boulder up a steep slope. The tragedy in this story occurs when Sisyphus stops pushing the rock to catch his breath. At any moment during his descent from the mountaintop to the realm of the gods' cave, he triumphs over his fate. He is stronger than the rock that torments him. Sisyphus is fully aware of his miserable existence and contemplates it throughout his descent. His clear vision, which undoubtedly caused his suffering, also ensures his victory. There is no fate that cannot be overcome by insult. In conclusion, the book explores the influence and possibility of Wittgenstein in the philosophy of religion, discussing the uniqueness of religious language, the relationship between language games, and the existence of God that depends on nothing. It delves into the meaning of religious language and the role of believers in shaping it. The book also touches on the concepts of Metaphor, Myth, and Image in relation to language and explores the philosophical ideas of Albert Camus regarding the absurdity of existence.