Analytic Philosophy, Social Knowledge, and Human Action
Analytic Philosophy: Knowledge and Language
Reactions against idealism and Analytic philosophy. Wittgenstein proposes, as the first object of philosophy, a rigorous analysis of language that clarifies the problems relating to its structure and the knowledge of the world that stems from it.
Wittgenstein’s thesis is that language is thought’s essential medication. It is not that we think and then look for words to express our thoughts, but rather that the constitution of thought itself takes place in the linguistic environment.
Division of Social Knowledge
For something to be considered knowledge, it must be shared and accepted by the community, not only by oneself. The enormous influence on the knowledge society makes it possible to speak of social manipulation of this knowledge. It is no wonder, then, that some distort and misrepresent certain information in favor of the interests of a few. The advance of our knowledge changes and transforms our shared vision of the world and changes our way of life and how we relate to the environment.
The Social Construction of Knowledge
Culture is a humanizing factor that differentiates us from other animals. We acquire and assimilate the cultural content of our society through a process called socialization. We integrate cultural information as our own for our group and also as a way to appreciate what surrounds us. The information acquired through socialization seems unquestionable. All that we are gaining should be integrated into that vision and appreciation of our surroundings. Firstly, this approach hinders adaptability, and secondly, it hinders the ability to accept knowledge that conflicts with deeply held beliefs.
Another aspect that can influence our knowledge is the particular language that allows us to acquire it and frame it. Language itself influences the way we think. Most of what we know we have not acquired directly but through our social mechanisms; it is possible to distinguish collective knowledge from personal knowledge. The predominance of collective knowledge enables the incredible progress and development of our knowledge.
Human Action
We have defined action as the activity of a conscious and voluntary agent. What is the specificity of human action? In other words, what makes a person’s actions different from what a computer or an animal does?
Animal Behavior
A basic difference between humans and animals is that the latter are more influenced by their genetic endowment. While it is true that many animals are capable of producing spontaneous behavior and learning from others, most of their actions are automatic, determined by their genes.
Behavior of a Computer
This is defined by a computer program that determines its responses and what it can do. No matter how complex the operations it can perform, they will remain default and automatic and not the result of free choice and reflection.
Human Behavior
The specificity of human behavior is the choice to do this or that, or to do nothing. Only a being that chooses and decides can be considered a voluntary agent. Therefore, when we speak of action, we refer exclusively to human action.