What is the true worth of Wittgenstein's contribution to philosophy? Opinions are strongly divided, with many resting on misreadings of his purpose. This book challenges 'theoretical' and 'therapeutic' interpretations, proposing that Wittgenstein saw clarification as the true end of philosophy, that his approach exemplifies critical philosophy.
Autorentext
DANIEL D. HUTTO is Professor of Philosophical Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. He has published on a wide range of philosophical topics in several leading journals, including: The Monist (1995); The Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society (1998); Philosophy and Phenomenological Research (1999) and Mind and Language (2004). He is author of The Presence of Mind (1999), Beyond Physicalism (2000) and Folk Psychological Narratives (forthcoming with MIT Bradford Books, 2006). He is also editing a forthcoming Royal Institute of Philosophy volume, Narrative and Understanding Persons, for Cambridge University Press which is to appear in 2007.
Zusammenfassung
There are a number of fundamental topics, including 'reality', 'meaning' and 'logic', that cannot be dealt with properly without an appropriate understanding of the end and limits of philosophy. In this book, Daniel D. Hutto draws on Wittgenstein's insights on how we must approach these topics to challenge the idea that we face a simple methodological choice in philosophy: to advance theory or to attempt therapy. Consideration of these topics tells against the prevalent opinion that philosophy is a kind of theorising, sceintific or otherwise. Yet, this should not lead us to think that its business is purely therapeutic, designed to help rid us of such ambitions and attendant confusions. It is possible to deny that philosophy is progressive, according the standard conception, while also denyign that it is wholly negative and deflationary. The author explores this third way by expounding, explicating and defending Wittgenstein's claim that philosophy clarifies our understanding of important philsophical matters.
Inhalt
Acknowledgements Abbreviations Introduction A Focus on Logic Just the Facts? Seeking Clarity Throughout Without Explanation Before Realism and Idealism Description Alone Notes References Index