Philosophy of language

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/philosophy-of-language

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key historical development?The 'linguistic turn' in the 20th century, emphasizing language's role in philosophy
2. What is the pivotal figures?Gottlob Frege, Bertrand Russell, and Ludwig Wittgenstein are central to the field
3. Why do words matter for thinking?Words can shape and structure our thoughts, not just express them. They help us see the world in new ways.
4. How do words connect to the world?A word can point to a real thing, like "Albert Einstein" refers to that person. It can also show how we think about that thing, which is called its sense.

Sense and Reference: Distinction between how a word presents an object (sense) and the object itself (reference).
Language Games: Wittgenstein's idea that language meaning is derived from its use in specific social contexts.
Logical Positivism: A philosophical movement emphasizing empirical verification and logical analysis of language.