Meditating with Wittgenstein
constructing and deconstructing the language games of masculinity
pp. 389-400
in: Michael A. Peters, Jeff Stickney (eds), A companion to Wittgenstein on education, Berlin, Springer, 2017Abstract
Through the example of ideological masculinity , this chapter examines pain language games to reveal some of the ways in which the capacity for empathy in which they are grounded is shaped by those games. Wittgenstein and the Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna are in philosophical agreement about the nature of the human form of life. It is argued that "the change in the way people live" that Wittgenstein calls for can be most fully achieved through the use of Mindfulness meditation practice which incorporates philosophical study. David Forbes' work with high school boys illustrates the power of this practice .
