Taking Wittgenstein at His Word: A Textual Study

Robert J. Fogelin

Published by Princeton University Press 2010

Taking Wittgenstein at His Word

A Textual Study

Robert J. Fogelin

Volume 29 in the series Princeton Monographs in Philosophy

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400831579

Overview
Contents

About this book

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.

Author / Editor information

Robert J. Fogelin is professor of philosophy and the Sherman Fairchild Professor Emeritus in the Humanities at Dartmouth College. His many books include Wittgenstein, Pyrrhonian Reflections on Knowledge and Justification, Walking the Tightrope of Reason, and A Defense of Hume on Miracles (Princeton).

Reviews

"Robert Fogelin is absolutely right to take Wittgenstein's methodological statements seriously and to focus on the primary texts rather than to be guided by fashionable interpretations. Fogelin's reading is perceptive and sensible, the key concepts around which he organizes his interpretation are judiciously chosen, and the book is clearly written."—Severin Schroeder, Reading University

This is a superb book. . . . Taking Wittgenstein at his word, as Fogelin has done, is a far, far deeper thing than taking him at face value.---Anat Biletzki, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

[Taking Wittgenstein at His Word] is a thought-provoking study that gives those interested in Wittgenstein much to ponder. For that reason, I feel I can confidently recommend TWHW, both to those just beginning to explore Wittgenstein's work and to serious scholars.---Joshua McNutt, Dialogue

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xi
Conventions for Citations and Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xvii
Introduction. Respecting the Text Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I. Rule-Following and the Conceivability of a Private Language
Chapter One. On Following a Rule Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
Chapter Two. The Conceivability of a Private Language Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	56
Part II. Wittgenstein on the Philosophy of Mathematics
Chapter Three. The Status of Mathematical Expressions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	83
Chapter Four. Wittgenstein on the Mysteries of Mathematics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	116
Chapter Five. Wittgenstein on Logical Consistency Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	139
Coda Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	167
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	173
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	177

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