The concept of "identity" in language games
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52673/18570461.25.3-78.15Keywords:
identity, theory of identity, grammar analysis, language games, philosophy of languageAbstract
The concept of "identity" holds a paradoxical status in the contemporary human social sciences. On the one hand, it is indispensable for the study of today's society, which is profoundly preoccupied with self-determination problems. On the other hand, the notion is conceptually vague and generates controversies regarding its relevance in academic discourse. The study aims to overcome this methodological crisis by changing the research perspective: from an essentialist definition to a pragmatic analysis of everyday language. The methodological foundation of the study is the grammatical analysis of language games developed by Ludwig Wittgenstein. The paper achieves the following results: (1) the conceptual impasse underlying the term "identity" is clarified; (2) the internal spatial logic of the concept is revealed; (3) "identity" is examined as part of the language game "To scientifically tell about its own state", with a focus on its rules.
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