Synopses & Reviews
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an extraordinarily original thinker, whose influence on twentieth-century thinking far outside the bounds of philosophy alone. In this engaging Introduction, A.C. Grayling makes Wittgenstein's thought accessible to the general reader by explaining the nature and impact of Wittgenstein's views. He describes both his early and later philosophy, the differences and connections between them, and gives a fresh assessment of Wittgenstein's continuing influence on contemporary thought.
Synopsis
Ludwig Wittgenstein was an extraordinarily original philosopher, whose influence on 20th-century thinking goes well beyond philosophy itself. In this short, non-technical introduction to Wittgenstein's thought, Grayling describes both his early and his later philosophy, the differences and connections between them, and their effect on contemporary thought.
About the Author
A.C. Grayling is Lecturer in Philosophy at Birkbeck College, London, and Senior Research Fellow at St Anne's College, Oxford. He is the author of
An Introduction to Philosophical Logic,
The Refutation of Scepticism, and
Berkeley: The Central Arguments, and is also the editor of
Philosophy: A Guide through the Subject and
Philosophy 2: Further through the Subject.
Table of Contents
1. Life and character
The early philosophy
2. Aims and background
3. The argument of the Tractatus
4. Some comments and questions
5. The influence of the early philosophy
The later philosophy
6. The transitional period
7. Method, meaning, and use
8. Understanding and rule following
9. 'Forms of life', private language, and criteria
10. Mind and knowledge
11. Some reflections and comments
12. Wittgenstein and recent philosophy
Further reading
Index
1. Life and character
The early philosophy
2. Aims and background
3. The argument of the Tractatus
4. Some comments and questions
5. The influence of the early philosophy
The later philosophy
6. The transitional period
7. Method, meaning, and use
8. Understanding and rule following
9. 'Forms of life', private language, and criteria
10. Mind and knowledge
11. Some reflections and comments
12. Wittgenstein and recent philosophy
Further reading
Index