Ordinary language philosophy

Ordinary language philosophy is a way of thinking about language that says we should pay attention to how people actually use words in everyday life.

For example, let's say someone says "I feel scared." In ordinary language philosophy, we would look at how people commonly use the word "scared" in conversation, rather than trying to come up with a precise definition. We might ask questions like "What situations do people usually describe as scary?" "What do they mean when they say they feel scared?" "What other words do they use to describe similar feelings?"

The idea behind ordinary language philosophy is that language is something that people use to communicate with each other, and therefore its meaning is shaped by the way people use it in their everyday lives. So instead of trying to create precise definitions for words, we should try to understand how people actually use them.

This approach can be helpful in philosophy because it can help us better understand the meanings of words that might be used in philosophical discussions. By looking at how people use these words in their everyday lives, we can get a better sense of what they mean and how they function in our language.