Roots in Ordinary Language Philosophy

Values-based practice is derived from work in ordinary language philosophy by the ‘Oxford school’ on the language of values.

This part of the Reading Guide covers

• The Oxford School of Ordinary Language Philosophy
• More About Ordinary Language Philosophy
• From the Language of Values to the Language of Medicine
• More About The derivation of Values-based Practice

Ordinary Language Philosophy and Other Origins

Ordinary language philosophy, powerful as it can be, is most effective when combined with other approaches, philosophical and indeed empirical.

Austin, a key figure in the Oxford School, once described ordinary language philosophy as ‘… possibly one way of getting started with some kinds of philosophical problem’ (cited by Warnock, 1989, p5).

Further sections of the Reading Guide will look at other philosophical and empirical sources respectively of values-based practice.

The theory of values-based practice remains in important respects controversial (see Research and On-going Development).