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Unravelling Meaning in Therapeutic Conversations: A Wittgensteinian Inquiry

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2023

Abstract

This paper inspects the relationship between problem analysis-a fundamental part of many therapeutic approaches-and meaning. In the first part, I argue that problem analysis emerges from the representational theory of meaning. I introduce Wittgenstein's version of this theory as presented in the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, and examine its difficulties. Later, I focus on two fundamental themes of late Wittgenstein's Philosophical

Investigations: private language and rule-following. I argue that the rule-following paradox has disproven the representational theory of meaning. I briefly describe the private language argument and rule-following paradox-a sceptical paradox. Then I provide my reading o

Kripke's sceptical solution to it. I present its implications regarding the meaning and how this is relevant to problem analysis and therapeutic conversations in general.