ABSTRACT
One of the grammatical techniques in Wittgenstein’s method of investigation is the description and use of ordinary language. Ordinary language is used throughout his writings and he repeatedly draws our attention to this aspect of his grammatical art. However, the methodological role and significance of ordinary language has yet to be acknowledged or addressed within the secondary literature1. Its dismissal as a topic of genuine philosophical interest and concern is an indication of the radical nature of Wittgenstein’s method, for no other aspect of his philosophical writings comes into greater methodological conflict with the Western philosophical tradition, and nowhere does he challenge philosophical convention as clearly and as strongly as he does through his description and use of ordinary language. If we look at Wittgenstein’s use of language as one of his grammatical techniques, and if we place it within the tradition of Kraus and see it in connection with his experiences as an elementary school teacher, the role and significance of ordinary language becomes clear. The description and use of ordinary language raise important issues concerning language and philosophy, and clarify several structural aspects of his later writings.
