What the study found
The paper finds that Wittgenstein’s thinking on religion shifts from the early focus on the limits of the world in the Tractatus to a later focus on ordinary language and everyday life. In this later view, religious expressions belong to ordinary language-games and can take on deeper meaning through personal use.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that this is the place where philosophy and religion meet in Wittgenstein: in the effort to find words that can speak for us and return us to ordinary life. They present this as a renewal of how the everyday is seen, rather than as a separate religious sphere.
What the researchers tested
The article examines Wittgenstein’s shifting engagement with religion by comparing the early Tractatus with later writings. It analyzes how religious language functions within forms of life and ordinary language-games, and how words can be intensified through individual use.
What worked and what didn't
The analysis shows that religious expressions have established places and contexts of use within ordinary talk and observation that are not themselves usually called religious. It also finds that personal use can either be acknowledged or fail to be acknowledged, giving words an inflection tied to individual experience.
What to keep in mind
This summary is limited to the abstract and title, so it does not provide detailed textual evidence, examples, or objections. The abstract does not describe empirical methods or list explicit limitations beyond the scope of the philosophical analysis.
Key points
- Wittgenstein’s view of religion is presented as shifting from the Tractatus to later writings.
- Religious expressions are described as part of ordinary language-games and forms of life.
- The paper says ordinary non-religious talk and observation help make religious uses intelligible.
- Personal use can intensify words and give them an inflection tied to experience.
- The authors place philosophy and religion together in the recovery of words that speak for us.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Wittgenstein links religion to ordinary language use
- Authors:
- Piergiorgio Donatelli
- Institutions:
- Sapienza University of Rome
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-02
- DOI:
- 10.3390/rel17020181
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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