Editing Ordinary language philosophy (section)

{{Short description|View that philosophical problems are distortions of natural language}}
{{For|the philosophy of language|Philosophy of language}}
{{use dmy dates |date=March 2024}}
{{Philosophy sidebar}}

'''Ordinary language philosophy''' ('''OLP'''<ref name=Baz/>) is a [[philosophical methodology]] that sees traditional philosophical problems as rooted in misunderstandings philosophers develop by [[stipulative definition|distorting or forgetting how words are ordinarily used]] to convey [[Meaning (philosophy)|meaning]] in [[natural language|non-philosophical contexts]]. "Such 'philosophical' uses of language, on this view, create the very philosophical problems they are employed to solve."<ref name=ParkerRyan/>

This approach typically involves eschewing philosophical "theories" in favor of close attention to the details of the use of everyday "ordinary" language. Its earliest forms are associated with the later work of [[Ludwig Wittgenstein]] and a number of mid-20th century philosophers who can be split into two main groups, neither of which could be described as an organized "school".<ref name=Chappell/> In its earlier stages, contemporaries of Wittgenstein at [[Cambridge University]] such as [[Norman Malcolm]], [[Alice Ambrose]], [[Friedrich Waismann]], [[Oets Kolk Bouwsma]] and [[Morris Lazerowitz]] started to develop ideas recognisable as ordinary language philosophy. These ideas were further elaborated from 1945 onwards through the work of some Oxford University philosophers led initially by [[Gilbert Ryle]], then followed by [[J. L. Austin]] and [[Paul Grice]]. This Oxford group also included [[H. L. A. Hart]], [[Geoffrey Warnock]], [[J. O. Urmson]] and [[P. F. Strawson]]. The close association between ordinary language philosophy and these later thinkers has led to it sometimes being called "Oxford philosophy". The posthumous publication of Wittgenstein's ''[[Philosophical Investigations]]'' in 1953 further solidified the notion of ordinary language philosophy. Philosophers a generation after Austin who made use of the method of ordinary language philosophy include [[Antony Flew]], [[Stanley Cavell]], [[John Searle]] and [[Oswald Hanfling]]. Today, [[Alice Crary]], [[Nancy Bauer (philosopher)|Nancy Bauer]], [[Sandra Laugier]], as well as literary theorists [[Toril Moi]], [[Rita Felski]], and [[Shoshana Felman]] have adopted the teachings of Cavell in particular, generating a resurgence of interest in ordinary language philosophy.