"The theory of language-games" as the solution of the problem of the nature of philosophy

The paper is concerned with metaphilosophical cases in which the assumption that there is no subject matter of philosophy is based on the position called ‘the theory of language games’. In the contemporary philosophy of language there are a number of popular positions which based on the similar understanding of language. This popularity gives to the metaphilosophical paradox of that understanding and to the metaphilosophical difficulties which that understanding brings a certain value. The metaphilosophical paradox of ‘the theory of language games’ consists in the impossibility of that that understanding of language to explain the difference between the contemplation of the rule by a philosopher and the analogous contemplation by a rule-follower. That impossibility gives way to losing difference between two. The paradox could also be stated in the following way: the theory of language games’ depicts the language in manner analogous to the way how a family portrait images a family. The paradox emerges from our attempts to place philosophy on that portrait. Also the paper provides the analysis of the difficulties which that understanding brings for the solving of the problem of philosophy. Using the example of the aim of philosophy, the method of philosophy and the nature of philosophical problems the author shows that ‘the theory of language games’ could say nothing noncontroversial about the nature of philosophy. The aim of philosophy according to ‘the theory of language games’ is or the removing of the philosophical confusions or the conceptual analysis. For both of them it is necessary to see language games from some meta-perspective. The right method of philosophy according to ‘the theory of language games’ is the describing of the language games. Such method to be pointed out should be based on some kind of rules. The nature of philosophical problems according to ‘the theory of language games’ is grammatical. Nevertheless, to describe something as the philosophical problem there should be given some theoretical basis. In the end author made a conclusion that ‘the theory of language games’ is not a sufficient position for solving the problem of the nature of philosophy.

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