Wittgenstein and the Possibility of Discourse

by Rhees, Rush; Phillips, D. Z.

• ISBN13: 9781405132503
• ISBN10: 1405132507
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-05-08
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This original critique of Wittgenstein's analogy between language and games, written by one of the philosopher's literary executors and closest friends, has now been updated to include two additional articles. Updated edition of this original critique of Wittgenstein's analogy between language and games. Rush Rhees was one of Wittgenstein's literary executors and closest friends, as well as being an outstanding philosopher in his own right. D.Z. Phillips was Director of the Rush Rhees Archive and the Associated Centre for Wittgensteinian Studies. Constitutes a major contribution to Wittgenstein scholarship and to philosophical debates about the possibility of discourse. The second edition includes as a preface Rhees' article, 'The Fundamental Problems of Philosophy', first published in 1994. It also includes as a second appendix some of Rhees' reflections of Wittgenstein, his teacher.

Author Biography

Author Biography

Rush Rhees (1905-1989) taught philosophy at the University of Swansea from 1940 to 1966, where he was subsequently made an Honorary Professor and Fellow. Among his principal teachers he included Alfred Kastil, John Anderson, G.E. Moore and, above all, Ludwig Wittgenstein. He was one of Wittgenstein’s literary executors and closest friends, as well as being an outstanding philosopher in his own right.

Editor Biography

D.Z. Phillips is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus and Rush Rhees Professor Emeritus at the University of Wales, Swansea and Danforth Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Claremont Graduate University. He is Director of the Rush Rhees Archive, Swansea and the Associated Centre for Wittgensteinian Studies. He co-edited ‘Wittgenstein: Attention to Particulars’ (1989), a collection in Rhees' honour, and is the editor of seven of Rhees’ works published posthumously.

Table of Contents

Note to the second edition	vii
Preface: The Fundamental Problems of Philosophy	viii
Note in editing	xxi
Introduction	xxv
Analytic table of contents	xlv
PART ONE PHILOSOPHY AND LANGUAGE
I Plato, language and the growth of understanding	3	(18)
II 'What is language?'	21	(12)
III The reality of language	33	(32)
PART TWO GAMES AND LANGUAGE
IV Discussion and discourse	65	(16)
V Games, calculations, discussions and conversations	81	(16)
PART THREE BEYOND WITTGENSTEN'S BUILDERS
VI Signals and saving something	97	(19)
VII Language: a family of games?	116	(14)
VIII Understanding what is said	130	(21)
IX Wittgenstein's builders -- recapitulation	151	(22)
PART FOUR BELONGING TO LANGUAGE
X Conversation and institutions	173	(8)
XI Language and generality	181	(29)
XII Language, speaking and common intelligibility	210	(33)
XIII Philosophy, life and language	243	(14)
Appendix: On Wittgenstein	257	(9)
Rush Rhees: a biographical sketch	266	(10)
Index	276