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Is mysticism a confusion of language, in Wittgenstein's sense? You'd have thought it was, especially if it makes any positive claims. But does it not ever show things, ever?

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Final answer:

Mysticism in Wittgenstein's view is not merely a confusion of language; it can show aspects of life that transcend conventional language. While analytic philosophy might struggle to verify mystical claims, Wittgenstein's later works suggest these experiences have their own contextual meaning and relevance.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering if mysticism is a confusion of language in Wittgenstein’s sense, we need to look at the later works of Ludwig Wittgenstein, particularly Philosophical Investigations. Wittgenstein suggests that the meaning of words is context dependent, such that terms in mysticism could be meaningful within a certain life-form or context. However, from an analytic philosophy perspective, claims like “God exists” are not verifiable in the same way empirical claims are. Yet, Wittgenstein's later philosophy leaves room for showing aspects of life that are not easily articulated in a traditional logical framework, like the experiential aspects of mysticism.

What mysticism may aim to 'show' are things that are not stated explicitly but are instead lived and experienced. Thus, while the positivists would dismiss religious language as meaningless, Wittgenstein’s later view accommodates the possibility that such language has its own form of verification and meaning within a given form of life. The key takeaway is that language has limitations, and there are experiences, such as those found in mysticism, which may transcend the boundaries of conventional language yet still hold significance.

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