維根斯坦哲學

Wittgenstein is undoubtedly one of the most important and influential philosophers in the 20th century. The impacts of his works are visible not just in philosophy, but also in a wide range of disciplines in humanities and social sciences such as sociology, anthropology, law, arts, etc. At the heart of Wittgenstein’s philosophy is his view of language, which is a core concern in the era of the so-called “linguistic turn” in the early 20th century Western philosophical circle where the key to solving major philosophical problems lies in knowing the nature and limits of language. The two master pieces—Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations—represent the two major stages of Wittgenstein’s philosophy: the former sees language as having a deep logical structure which is responsible for the conveying of genuinely linguistic meaning while the latter conceive of language as being embedded in a complex and intricate web of human activities that resist any logical or theoretical reduction. The aim of this seminar is to read closely the two original but difficult texts to examine the philosophical significance and implications which they bear. We will also read some of the important interpretations of Wittgenstein such as Saul Kripke, Colin McGinn, and Martin Kusch for the purpose of better understanding and assessing Wittgenstein’s philosophy.

This course has three aims: 1) Familiarize students with the philosophy of Wittgenstein through reading original texts as well as important second literature; 2) Develop critical thinking abilities through reading and discussing the assigned reading materials, and 3) Propose a research topic on this issue and write a paper that meets a professional standard.

Attendance, leading discussions, and oral reports: 50% Term paper: 50%

Wittgenstein, L., (1921): Tractatus Logio-Philosophicus, translated by D. F. Pears & B. McGuinness (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1961). ---(1953): Philosophical Investigations, edited by G. E. M. Anscombe and R. Rhees (Blackwell). Kripke, S. (1982): Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language (Harvard University Press). McGinn, C. (1984): Wittgenstein on Meaning (Basil Blackwell). Kusch, M. (2006): A Sceptical Guide to Meaning and Rules: Defending Kripke’s Wittgenstein (Acumen).