Language

This relationship may seem a little far fetched right now, but I think it could initiate some interesting conversation in class tomorrow.  I feel there is something about Wittgenstein's view of language and Heidegger's idea of present at hand and ready to hand that make them go hand in hand.  Language as we know it is a mode of expression, so ultimately we should be able to communicate anything as we please.   I feel that language can be considered ready to hand according to Heidegger.  In this light, we use language as a mode of expression and communication, and we come to the conclusion that with language we can do so effectively; like the hammer, it is put to work.  However, as we have learned from various philosophers we have read in class, language can also be our biggest obstacle.  How do we go about explaining and/or describing certain aspects or experiences in life?  Here, we come to realize that language is present at hand when, as Wittgenstein states, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world" (147).  When there are simply no words in our language, we approach language as an object to theorize about.  We come to realize that language is not necessarily a window into reality; it is its own thing, and we in fact have the ability to discuss language as something that reduces experiences into explanations.