Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Ordinary language philosophy

Ordinary language philosophy (OLP) is a philosophical methodology that sees traditional philosophical problems as rooted in misunderstandings philosophers develop by distorting or forgetting how words are ordinarily used to convey meaning in non-philosophical contexts. "Such 'philosophical' uses of language, on this view, create the very philosophical problems they are employed to solve."This approach typically involves eschewing philosophical "theories" in favor of close attention to the details of the use of everyday "ordinary" language.

2 episodes

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  1. Ordinary language philosophy

    Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Ordinary Language Philosophy, one of the most important British contributions to 20th-century thought.

    7 November 2013

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    Featuring: Stephen Mulhall, Ray Monk, Julia Tanney

     
  2. Wittgenstein

    Melvyn Bragg discusses how Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the greatest philosophers of the modern age has influenced contemporary culture with his ideas on language.

    4 December 2003

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    Featuring: Ray Monk, Barry Smith, Marie McGinn