Episode description

Is language a flawed prism standing in the way of our understanding of the world?

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For much of the 20th century language was seen as central to our understanding of the world. 'The limits of my language mean the limits of my world', argued Wittgenstein. 'There is nothing outside of the text' claimed Derrida. But now it seems language is being jettisoned by philosophers as either containing puzzles that are insoluble, or irrelevant to the real issues facing us. The American philosopher, Hilary Putman, went as far as to say "the project to describe the relationship between language and the world is a shambles". 

Should we conclude that the puzzle of language and its relation to the world is not solvable? Or is it essential we crack the problem and not give up? Or should we focus, not on the medium but, on the message and return to an era before the so-called 'linguistic turn' when language was largely seen as a transparent vehicle of our beliefs?

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