The Enigma of Meaning: Wittgenstein and Derrida, Language and Life

The work explores the relationship between language and meaning, challenging the dominant role of words and signs in conveying meaning. It highlights the tension between rules and practice in the use of signs and the presence of the sign as intimately bound up with its absence. The work contrasts the approaches of Wittgenstein and Derrida, revealing the play of hazards and benefits for language users when faced with alternative ways of understanding and accessing the power and potential of language.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2023
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

Language, the first technology of humanity, is explored in this work through the perspectives of two influential philosophers of the 20th century. It challenges the dominant role of language by highlighting its limitations in conveying meaning. Wittgenstein seeks to strengthen the foundation of meaning by examining the interplay between rules and practice in the use of signs, while Derrida exposes the inherent tension in the nature of the sign itself. This tension underscores the sign's intimate connection with its absence. As a result, these two approaches offer contrasting roles for interpretation between a sign and its meaning, highlighting the hazards and benefits for language users when confronted with alternative ways of understanding and accessing the power and potential of language.

Weight: 272g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476689821