Abstract

The paper entitled ‘Philosophy of subaltern language’ attempts to understand Wittgenstein’s language game theory in the light of Derrida’s theory of deconstruction. Derrida in his book entitled Of Grammatology criticizes structuralism. My contention is that Wittgenstein’s Tractatus admits formal language philosophy which stipulates structuralism. Derrida would problematize the possibility of objective description. The philosophy of subaltern language is quite different from technical language philosophy. It subscribes to philosophy of ordinary language. I have understood Derrida’s concept of ‘others’ as subaltern. Technical language is formal and not within the reach to subaltern or illiterate. Moreover it becomes an instrument of exploitation because the subaltern are sufferers because they do not know the technical language. Language game is meaningful in the context of socio-cultural relationship. My ideas have been shaped and developed on the basis of my study of Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations and Jacques Derrida’s Margins of Philosophy. I have considered Wittgenstein’s philosophy of ordinary language as ‘philosophy of subaltern language’. Language game is the expressions of forms of life. I have attempted to develop the philosophy of subaltern language in the light of postmodernism. There is a difference between Wittgenstein’s ‘language game’ and ‘subaltern language game’ as it has been stipulated and developed here. Language game theory is concerned and confined to modern age and subaltern language game is related to postmodernism. My contention is that language of legislature, executive, judiciary and medical professionals are highly technical and beyond the comprehension of subaltern people. Technical language is an instrument to serve the end of the elite and educationally advanced class. I think any social change requires change in the language game. The philosophy of subaltern language deconstructs the formal language. The subaltern language game is not analytic but existential. In order to make society free from exploitation and reduce inequality, we have to change the language game. The philosophy of subaltern language is an attempt to free society from injustice, inequality and exploitation.