Taking Wittgenstein at his word : a textual study / Robert J. Fogelin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fogelin, Robert J.

Series:

Princeton monographs in philosophy.

Princeton monographs in philosophy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 1889-1951.

Wittgenstein, Ludwig.

Rules (Philosophy).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (200 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Taking Wittgenstein at His Word is an experiment in reading organized around a central question: What kind of interpretation of Wittgenstein's later philosophy emerges if we adhere strictly to his claims that he is not in the business of presenting and defending philosophical theses and that his only aim is to expose persistent conceptual misunderstandings that lead to deep philosophical perplexities? Robert Fogelin draws out the therapeutic aspects of Wittgenstein's later work by closely examining his account of rule-following and how he applies the idea in the philosophy of mathematics. The first of the book's two parts focuses on rule-following, Wittgenstein's "paradox of interpretation," and his naturalistic response to this paradox, all of which are persistent and crucial features of his later philosophy. Fogelin offers a corrective to the frequent misunderstanding that the paradox of interpretation is a paradox about meaning, and he emphasizes the importance of Wittgenstein's often undervalued appeals to natural responses. The second half of the book examines how Wittgenstein applies his reflections on rule-following to the status of mathematical propositions, proofs, and objects, leading to remarkable, demystifying results. Taking Wittgenstein at His Word shows that what Wittgenstein claims to be doing and what he actually does are much closer than is often recognized. In doing so, the book underscores fundamental--but frequently underappreciated--insights about Wittgenstein's later philosophy.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Conventions for Citations and Abbreviations

Introduction. Respecting the Text

Part I. Rule-Following and the Conceivability of a Private Language

Chapter One. On Following a Rule

Chapter Two. The Conceivability of a Private Language

Part II. Wittgenstein on the Philosophy of Mathematics

Chapter Three. The Status of Mathematical Expressions

Chapter Four. Wittgenstein on the Mysteries of Mathematics

Chapter Five. Wittgenstein on Logical Consistency

Coda

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612935817

9786612463235

9781282463233

1282463233

9781282935815

128293581X

9781400831579

1400831571

OCLC:

638860576