Rethinking language: Wittgenstein and Davidson against representacionism

Abstract

This study aims to explain the relevance of Wittgenstein’s critique of the theory of representation to language studies. In Philosophical Investigations the author proposes the thesis of Language Games, which can be seen as a therapeutic solution not only to philosophical problems but to several areas of human knowledge. In a second moment it aims to improve the thesis of Wittgenstein taking into account the studies of Donald Davidson about the importance of the social aspect of language. To understand language’s form in different contexts as Games means to understand a field where people can interact with each other through dialogues that employs the same rules for the use of words.