Wittgenstein: Language Games & The Private Language Myth

For this session, we take on Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations (Sections 1–33 and 191–360). Wittgenstein doesn't try to solve philosophical problems; he tries to dissolve them.

The opening sections dismantle the ancient view of words as mere labels for objects, replacing static meaning with dynamic "language games"—the idea that meaning is found only in use. We then turn to the famous "Private Language Argument." Through the "Beetle in the Box" thought experiment, Wittgenstein exorcises the Cartesian ghost, arguing that even our most intimate sensations are public constructs, not private secrets.

The task: To stop thinking and start looking, aiming to cure the "bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language."

The reading can be found here