LINGUAGEM E FILOSOFIA

A CRÍTICA DA LINGUAGEM DE F. MAUTHNER À LUZ DO PIRRONISMO

Abstract

Fritz Mauthner (1849-1923) developed his philosophical project of a critique of language, which he conceived as a deepening of the criticism initiated by Kant. However, through the analysis of the nature of language, Mauthner reaches skeptical conclusions about the possibility of knowing the world. The most widespread interpretation holds that Mauthnerian criticism consists of an epistemological skepticism with strictly negative consequences not only for the possibility of knowledge but also for the viability or coherence of his philosophical project. In this regard, G. Weiler (1970) considers that this type of radical skepticism becomes self-defeating, leading to mysticism. From his perspective, Mauthner presents himself as an anti-philosopher. This conclusion, however, is imprecise insofar as it does not incorporate elements that allow us to enrich and clarify the type of skepticism that comprises the critical-philosophical project. From his perspective, Mauthner presents himself as an anti-philosopher. This conclusion, however, is imprecise insofar as it does not incorporate elements that would enrich and clarify the type of skepticism that comprises the critical-philosophical project. In particular, it overlooks the differences between epistemological skepticism and Pyrrhonism. Through a critical discussion of this interpretation, the aim of this article is to recover the Pyrrhonian elements present in Mauthnerian language criticism. Our hypothesis is that this recovery allows a clearer understanding of his thought and enables a philosophically consistent perspective of it. From this, we will try to show that the Mauthnerian critical project can be understood as an original form of neopyrrhonism.