A Brief Overview

1
Analytical Philosophy

• A Brief Overview

2
Just What is Analytical Philosophy All About?

• In a word,

Words!
It attempts to clarify linguistic and conceptual
confusion
3
History

• Influenced by contemporary realism
• Influential Philosophers
• G.E. Moore (1873 - 1958)
• Looked at commonsense language and how people
  used their language.
• Bertrand Russell (1872 1970)
• Reduce problems to their smallest parts for
  clarity and precision of meaning

4
History (Continued)

• More influential analytical philosophers
• Wittgenstein (1889 1951)
• People need to understand the context of language
  usage and to do this, they construct language
  games
• Alfred Jules Ayer (1910 1989)
• Task of philosophy is to classify language and
  explain meanings

5
History (Continued)

• One More Influential Analytical Philosopher
• Gilbert Ryle (1900 1976)
• The dogma of the Ghost in the Machine - a
  philosophical confusion over the meaning of the
  mind
• Category Mistakes

6
Logical Positivism and Analysis

• Originated with a group of European Philosophers
  who designated themselves the Vienna Circle
• They were fascinated with the progress of modern
  scientific method and the principle of
  verification

7
Linguistic Analysis

• Try to solve the puzzles of linguistic confusion
• Insist that words can be used in more precise
  ways to reflect accurately what is intended

8
Analytical Philosophy Education

• Has some direct bearing on students, but is most
  useful for educators in helping them clarify what
  they propose to teach students

Knowing That Knowing How Knowing
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Aims

• 1. Educators need to become aware of language
  and its potential
• 2. There are many aims they depend on the
  kinds of life people think are most important at
  any given time in history
• 3. Must support and ensure a society dedicated
  to the ideals of free inquiry and rationality

10
Methods

• Paradigms constructed models of logic that help
  clarify and order concepts
• Deconstruct take things apart and analyze
  them

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Curriculum

• Instead of saying what a child should read,
  think, study or learn, the analyst examines what
  is meant by the words think, read, or learn
• Educational plans need to be clearly and
  concisely defined and current curricula needs to
  be examined for faulty language, confused
  meanings and unclear purposes

12
Role of Teacher

• Teachers must have a good understanding of the
  language used in their classroom (it may spoken
  or written language)
• Teachers must be aware of the possibilities and
  limitations of language
• Much language is value-laden and emotive

13
Role of Teacher

• Teachers must understand the logic of language
• Teachers need to be skilled in the ability to
  analyze language and to point out the improper
  use of language in whatever form it appears

14
Critique

• Philosophy is too limited to meet the demands of
  a changing, complex world
• There arent always clear, certain, and
  specifiable ways of doing things