Language, Power, and Social Reality: A Philosophical Investigation

Abstract

Language is not merely a tool for communication; it is a primary medium through which social reality is constructed, negotiated, contested, and maintained. The intricate relationships between language, power, and social structures have been central concerns in both philosophical inquiry and social theory. This paper explores how language shapes and reflects power relations, how power influences linguistic practices, and how both together contribute to the formation and transformation of social realities. Key philosophical frameworks from structuralism, post structuralism, speech act theory, critical discourse analysis, and social ontology are examined to shed light on these intersections. Drawing on the works of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Michel Foucault, Jürgen Habermas, and Judith Butler, the paper argues that language is constitutive of social structures, not merely descriptive, and that power is both embedded in and enacted through discourse. The investigation concludes by considering implications for understanding identity, agency, resistance, and ethical communication in contemporary societies.