A comparision of Martin Heidegger and Ludwig Wittgenstein's thought of language

Abstract

We attempt here A Comparison of Martin Heidegger and Ludwig Wittgenstein's Thought on Language. Departing from what can be called a Heideggerian impetus or influence, we see the thought of Heidegger and that of Wittgenstein very intimately related. More precisely, through the mentioned influence, we experience their thought as Saying the Same thing. Indeed, to think out the nature of this relation and of this Sameness adequately, and to accomplish its manifestation, become our aims; this work is therefore merely an attempt to en-able an approach to let such a relation of Sameness speak. However, we think that a deep understanding of these thinkers' post-metaphysical situatedness, makes evident that no traditional, analytic comparison applies; mainly because, as we shall show, the meaning of concepts fundamental to any traditional/analytic comparative study - such as and mainly 'essence' - have been questioned precisely by these thinkers. Any thoughtful attempt to compare the thought of particularly these two thinkers must, therefore, first reckon with the question as to what comparing and comparison mean. Any essential understanding of these thinkers' thought, or of facets of it, which are then compared as to similarities and differences is, therefore, inadequate. Comparing becomes problematic. Moreover, we think that this Sameness speaks of an intimate relation between two events in western thinking; that is, we relate to the thought of Heidegger and to that of Wittgenstein as each forming (en-abling) a single event in western thought. This event, or 'hermeneutical-abode', at once en-ables and explains our not treating their thought in the manner of those who oppose the 'early Heidegger' to the Heidegger after the 'tum', and the 'early' Wittgenstein to the 'later'. The relation of Sameness between these two thinkers' thought, is therefore, itself a single, one, hcnncneutical-abode which, throughout the procedure of the Comparison's attempt to think and name this hermeneutical-abode, is provisionally called 'Heidegger-Wittgenstein'. It is in the light of these considerations that we can speak of their thinking as predominantly linguistic, that is, as a henneneutical event, and this explains the import of language throughout these reflections as evident already in the title.