The Fundamental Magic of Meaning
Commentary on Chapter 5 of Language and Magic
Happy Magical Wednesday. I will continue my commentary on Language and Magic by Izutsu Toshihiko by looking at chapter 5. You can read my previous commentary as well as a series introduction at the links below
Chapter 5
In this chapter, Izutsu changes his approach and focuses on the magical nature of language. He explains that the previous chapters have detailed the magical use of language only to reveal that language itself seems fundamentally magical. In other words, it seems that all language is magical and not just specific uses of language.
The most ‘magical’ part of meaning is how it seems to be how it allows us to enter into the world. Usually mental things, such as emotions and ideas, stay in our mind. Yet, Language gives us the ability to influence the world around us based on our mental life.
This insight makes Izutsu think about the purpose of language. He claims that language is about bringing things about. This is in contradiction to how scientists see language as describing the world. Izutsu takes as his prime example how a child uses language. He says:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Freelance Philosophy to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.