Abstract

(1) Linguistic arguments play a very important role in contemporary philosophical discussion. It is believed that they are capable of refuting age old philosophical theses and to provide a short-cut to the solution of philosophical problems. If this belief should turn out to be correct, then we would possess here a very powerful eliminative instrument which could be applied even before a theory has been developed to such an extent that empirical examination becomes possible. However, such an instrument is a two-sided sword. Curtailing philosophical speculation it may curtail scientific investigation also. It may even arrest scientific progress. It is this conjecture which has prompted me to examine the matter in some detail.