I am here.

Abstract

In this paper, I investigate how context can help to make sense of saying ‘I am here’, inspired by a conversation between Max Black and Ludwig Wittgenstein in which Black claims that the phrase obviously has no particular point. By considering various everyday situations in which we might sensibly say the phrase, I come to a number of realisations. First, contra Black, the phrase can have a particular point, which is determined by the context in which it is said. Second, its meaning in particular situations cannot be understood by semantics alone. Third, although adding pragmatic content can improve our understanding, the separation of a situation in which someone says the phrase into semantics and pragmatics is unnecessary and, in some instances, even hinders our understanding of what the phrase means. Fourth, if we reject the categorisation of a situation into semantics and pragmatics and consider its contextual whole, then we can better understand what the particular phrase means. I conclude by questioning the picture of language in which meaning and use should never be conflated.