prison-house of language

is the idea that we are in essence captives of the vicissitudes of language since the promise of absolute certainty has been lost. Oddly, this seemingly terrifying fact is celebrated by deconstructionist.

One solution, or more exactly another clever sleight of hand, is to become so very pleased with the loss of absolute certainty and universal a prioris that one rejoices in abandoning them. Every defect of the former position is now taken to be its best quality. Yes, we have lost the world. Yes, we are forever prisoners of language. No, we will never regain certainty. No, we will never get beyond our biases. Yes we will forever be stuck within our own selfish standpoint. Bravo! Encore! The prisoners are now gagging even those who ask them to look out their cell windows... they will 'deconstruct,' as they say-- which means destroy in slow motion-- anyone who reminds them that there was a a time when they were free and when their language bore a connection with the world' (Latour 1999:8)

prison house of language, n.All

prison house of language