the (bad?) art of metaphysics

[fancybred]

So I'm going to be sitting in on a philosophy of language seminar at UPitt, given by Robert Brandom. The first class was yesterday and very exciting -- Brandom has a new theory/formalism of "pragmatic metalanguages" that he wants to debug before giving the Locke Lectures next year. I won't try to relate the introduction he gave yesterday,

Comments

I agree

[self_referent]

They serve for the expression of the general attitude of a person towards life.

But the general claim is that when people use metaphysical language they could be doing anything *except* communicating what they purport to be. And use of metaphysical language seems to fulfil some psychological need.

I agree. Isn't it better to abstract yourself "above" the need for a "general attitude...towards life"?

Another meaning

[self_referent]

e.g. a statement like "everything that happens, happens by grace of God" usually means roughly "I am pious"

It also means "If you're not Christian, then you're not dating my daughter." ;)