Wittgenstein and Reason / Edition 1

by John Preston

Overview

This volume discusses Wittgenstein’s work, as well as his oeuvre in general, and its implications for the nature of reason.

• Investigates the nature of reason which has always been a topic at the very heart of Western philosophy
• Analyses how Wittgenstein raised crucial questions about the subject - most notably in his critique of Frazer’s Golden Bough, his discussions of various philosophical aspects of religion, and the famous ‘rule-following considerations’ from his Philosophical Investigations
• Contributors include prominent Wittgenstein scholars from the UK and continental Europe including Hanjo Glock, Genia Schönbaumsfeld, Severin Schroeder Joachim Schulte and Crispin Wright
• Contains a translation of an important paper by the French Wittgenstein scholar Jacques Bouveresse, alongside six new papers by other contributors

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405180955
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	06/09/2008
Series:	Ratio Special Issues , #2
Pages:	162
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

John Preston is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Reading.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 Wittgenstein’s Critique of Frazer 1
Jacques Bouveresse

2 Relativism, Commensurability and Translatability 21
Hans-Johann Glock

3 ‘Back to the Rough Ground!’ Wittgensteinian Reflections on Rationality and Reason 47
Jane Heal

4 Worlds or Words Apart? Wittgenstein on Understanding Religious Language 65
Genia Schönbaumsfeld

5 The Tightrope Walker 85
Severin Schroeder

6 Rules and Reason 107
Joachim Schulte

7 Rule-Following without Reasons: Wittgenstein’s Quietism and the Constitutive Question 123
Crispin Wright

Index 145

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Taken as a whole, this volume provides an extremely valuable and critically astute examination of utterly fundamental issues that need serious attention and investigation in today's philosophical climate—it constitutes a 'must read'.” (Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, February 2009)

“Preston (philosophy, Univ. of Reading) offers scholarly pieces that explore the connections in his work between reason and relativism, the reasonableness of religious belief, and Wittgenstein's notion of rule following. Recommended for academic research libraries.” (Library Journal, November 2008)

Editorial Reviews

Two new books deal with the life and ideas of the enigmatic philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein and Reason had its genesis in a one-day conference at the University of Reading and includes additional essays invited for this volume, notably, a translation of an important paper by French Wittgenstein scholar Jacques Bouveresse on the limitations of causal explanations. Although Wittgenstein rarely writes specifically about the philosophical concept of reason, Preston (philosophy, Univ. of Reading) offers scholarly pieces that explore the connections in his work between reason and relativism, the reasonableness of religious belief, and Wittgenstein's notion of rule following. Recommended for academic research libraries.

In The House of Wittgenstein, writer and critic Waugh (Fathers and Sons: The Autobiography of a Family)tells the story of the downfall of the wealthy Wittgenstein family. He follows the intellectually and musically gifted Wittgenstein children as history conspires to rob them of one of Europe's largest fortunes. Waugh weaves the family's story around that of the fourth son, Paul: losing his arm in the Great War, Paul gained international acclaim as a left-handed concert pianist; at that time, his brother Ludwig's notoriety was limited to a small circle at Cambridge. With the rise of the Nazis, the Wittgenstein siblings were declared racially Jewish and held hostage for their wealth-a peril that ratchets up the book's tension and contributes to the already tragic atmosphere haunting the family. Waugh sifted through letters and journals held in archives and private collections for this masterfully researched workthat brings the characters of this previously untold story to life. He moves seamlessly among historical circumstance, personal relations, and the world of classical composition and performance. This gripping book is highly recommended for academic libraries.
—Steven Chabot

Library Journal

Taken as a whole, this volume provides an extremely valuable and critically astute examination of utterly fundamental issues that need serious attention and investigation in today's philosophical climate—it constitutes a 'must read'.” (Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, February 2009)

“Preston (philosophy, Univ. of Reading) offers scholarly pieces that explore the connections in his work between reason and relativism, the reasonableness of religious belief, and Wittgenstein's notion of rule following. Recommended for academic research libraries.” (Library Journal, November 2008)

From the Publisher