Is the later Wittgenstein Falling into the Abyss of Relativism? an assessment through the lens of critical rationalism

Mohammadi, Abdolhamid; Paya, Ali

doi:10.22034/jpiut.2022.51248.3180

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abdolhamid Mohammadi ¹
Ali Paya ²

¹ PhD Candidate of Philosophy of Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Professor of The Islamic College, affiliated with Middlesex University, UK Adjunct Professor, National Research Institute for Science Policy, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jpiut.2022.51248.3180

Abstract

The later Wittgenstein presents all kinds of knowledge in the form of language games based on forms of life. One of the implications of his later views is that certain language games and forms of life are incommensurable. Since each person can know the world only through his/her own form of life and language game, those who subscribe to entirely different language games cannot have a proper understanding of the forms of life of others. They are not able to critique and evaluate their knowledge of reality unless they abandon their own customary forms of life and internalize other forms of life that they want to know about, that is, to become a member of a society based on those different forms of life. In contrast, Popper emphasizes the objective nature of knowledge by considering external reality as a major criterion of objectivity. Popper maintains that the growth of human knowledge takes place through a never-ending process of critical evaluation of previous knowledge claims and a continuous supply of new conjectures for capturing reality and their critical appraisal incessantly. In this article, following a brief description of the philosophical approaches of Wittgenstein and Popper (Sections 1 and 2), and a brief explanation of the anti-relativist attitude of critical rationalism (Section 3), we turn to a critical assessment of Wittgenstein's relativist approach through the prism of Critical Rationalism (Section 4). The last chapter of the article (Section 5) is dedicated to a brief recap of the topics discussed in the earlier sections.

Keywords

Main Subjects

epistemology

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations

Is the later Wittgenstein Falling into the Abyss of Relativism? an assessment through the lens of critical rationalism

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Volume 16, Issue 40 - Serial Number 40
articles
Special issue: philosophy of education ( in Persian )
November 2022
Pages 208-224

Is the later Wittgenstein Falling into the Abyss of Relativism? an assessment through the lens of critical rationalism

References

References

Send comment about this article

Volume 16, Issue 40 - Serial Number 40 articlesSpecial issue: philosophy of education ( in Persian )November 2022Pages 208-224

Volume 16, Issue 40 - Serial Number 40
articles
Special issue: philosophy of education ( in Persian )
November 2022
Pages 208-224