Reading al-Fārābī's View of Language through the Lens of Wittgenstein: “Language as a Form of Life”

Abstract

Language resembles a living organism that constantly grows and evolves. Yet, the origin of language remains unresolved, highlighting the ongoing conflict between religious and scientific views. The key question is whether language originates from divine revelation or is a social agreement for communication, beginning with gestures, sounds, and calls, and gradually developing into modern language. This article shows that al-Fārābī's view of language is integrative; it is both ‘conventionalist’ and aligns with contemporary approaches to language, while also not conflicting with religion. His effort to reconcile Plato, who believed that all knowledge is essentially a recollection of the Forms, with Aristotle’s empirical approach ultimately led him to develop his own unique theory of knowledge and the invention of language. His view intersects with Wittgenstein’s conception of language as a ‘form of life,’ suggesting the impossibility of a ‘private language,’ as presented in his book, Philosophical Investigations. Viewing al-Fārābī's writings, a Muslim philosopher from the tenth century, through Ludwig Wittgenstein’s twentieth-century conceptual lens reveals the profound depth of al-Fārābī's philosophy and its ongoing significance for modern readers.