Wittgenstein: A Very Short Introduction

Description

A. C. Grayling's accessible introduction to Wittgenstein's work 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.

• Wittgenstein is probably the philosopher whom general readers are most interested in
• His work revolutionized philosophy in the twentieth century, and has given rise to many new developments in the philosophy of language, logic, and philosophy of mind
• He has also influenced fields outside philosophy, including literature, linguistics, anthropology, psychology, and sociology. This is the ideal book for people in these fields who need to know more about his views.
• A. C. Grayling writes very accessibly for non-specialists - apart from writing books on philosophy, he has columns in the Guardian and Independent

About the Author(s)

A. C. Grayling, Reader in Philosophy, Birkbeck College, University of London

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

Reviews

Lucidly and attractively written. - Heythrop Journal

Anyone wanting to come to grips with the later Wittgenstein's views on philosophy, his beliefs about the nature of thought and language, and his many unignorable (if sometimes muddled and often muddling) ideas in the philosophy of the mind could do no better than start here. - Guardian

[Grayling] is to be congratulated on the success of his enterprise in a book which is a model of expository elgance ... an admirably clear and concise introduction - Philosophical Books