Wittgenstein and the Human Form of Life

ISBN-13: 9780415256452 / Angielski / Twarda / 2002 / 176 str.

Oswald Hanfling; O. Hanfling;Hanfling Oswald

Opis

The growing implications of Wittgenstein's later writings both inside as well as outside philosophy have become one of the major features of the past few years. His impact on ideas of theory and the philosophy of language is increasingly evident. Yet there remains much difficulty in understanding much of Wittgenstein's thought due to the often-unclear nature of his arguments. Oswald Hanfling, a leading commentator on Wittgenstein, offers an exploration of Wittgenstein's thought, ranging from the problem of other minds, the philosophy of language and questions on humanity to the role of art. One of the most important criticisms levied against Wittgenstein is that he raises more questions than he answers, and this has caused many readers to attribute him positions contrary to his intentions and methods. Hanfling challenges this view and proposes that Wittgenstein's approach can lead to a proper understanding of the problems in question.

Spis treści

Introduction 1. Questions and answers in Wittgenstein's philosophy; 2. What does the Private Language Argument prove? 3. Criteria, Conventions and the problem of other minds 4. Does language need rules? 5. Wittgenstein on the use of 'I know' 6. Was Wittgenstein a sceptic? 7. Wittgenstein on language, art and humanity 8. Wittgenstein and the problem of consciousness 9. Could machines think? 10. Thinking 11. Secondary sense and 'what they have in common'

O autorze

Oswald Hanfling is a former Professor of Philosophy at the Open University. In addition to his many papers on Wittgenstein, he is the author of several books including Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy (1989) and Philosophy and Ordinary Language (Routledge, 2000).