Abstract

This is a survey of, and introduction to, ordinary language philosophy for the benefit of German readers. Von Savigny first presents the thought of Wittgenstein, Ryle and Austin, complete with annotated bibliography of works about each and a thematic list of passages from the Philosophical Investigations. He then shows how ordinary language philosophers approach three general areas: good and evil, being and nonbeing, and opinion and knowledge--ethics, ontology, and epistemology. Each chapter uses the work of many writers and also has an annotated bibliography. Finally, von Savigny examines the methodology in ordinary language philosophy: how ordinary language can be used for clarification, its therapeutic function, how it can serve to prove a position by argument, and how it functions heuristically to provoke inquiry. He closes with a chapter on some principles concerning ordinary language, and another on its philosophical usefulness. The work is clear and basic, the bibliographies at the end of each chapter are comprehensive, and their annotations illuminating.--R. S.