BUSTER KEATON AND WITTGENSTEIN:

A LESSON ON LANGUAGE GAMES THROUGH THE FILM "THE GENERAL" (1927)

Abstract

The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is one of the greatest exponents of reflections on the Philosophy of Language in the 20th century. Through the concept of “language games”, the author explains the diversity of ways in which words are used in everyday life and that understandings of their meanings depend on the contexts and social practices in which they are used. Contrary to Russell's “logical atomism”, of which he was initially a supporter, in his work Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein (1999) showed that language does not submit to the rigors of Logic, but also presents itself under other rules shared by human coexistence, in addition to that their meanings are found in the different linguistic uses and forms of communication. In this sense, this article aims to elucidate the concept of “language games” through the film The General (1927), by Buster Keaton, using this work of silent cinema as a teaching resource in Philosophy classes for high school grades, mainly with the objective of “illustrating” that language is not limited to the logic of words, but is also expressed through other forms, “games” capable of promoting human communication.