Abstract

This paper critically examines Wittgenstein’s remarks on Cratylus in their Nachlass context. In the Big Typescript, Wittgenstein compares his conception of language with “what Socrates says” in the dialogue but provides only an indirect reference (434a). This presents an exegetical difficulty that is usually glossed over. What does Socrates say according to Wittgenstein? Based on a close study of MS 111, TS 211–213 and MS 114, I propose a literal interpretation of the remark. Wittgenstein uses Socrates’ mimetic theory of names to illustrate antithetical causal theories of meaning. He contrasts Plato’s essentialist picture of language with his own grammatical approach and draws subtle attention to the dialogue’s core passage. This challenges the common misperception that Wittgenstein’s reading of Plato was ahistoric.