Wittgenstein and the End of Philosophy

Wittgenstein and the End of Philosophy

Also by Daniel D. Hutto BEYOND PHYSICALISM CURRENT ISSUES IN IDEALISM (co-editor with Paul Coates) THE PRESENCE OF MIND

Wittgenstein and the End of Philosophy Neither Theory nor Therapy Daniel D. Hutto Professor of Philosophical Psychology University of Hertfordshire

Daniel D. Hutto 2003 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2003 978-0-333-91880-7 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2003 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 978-1-4039-8986-4 ISBN 978-0-230-50320-5 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9780230503205 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hutto, Daniel D. Wittgenstein and the end of philosophy : neither theory nor therapy / Daniel D. Hutto. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index. 1. Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 1889 1951. Tractatus logico-philosophicus. 2. Logic, Symbolic and mathematical. 3. Language and languages Philosophy. I. Title. B3376.W563 T73353 192 dc21 2003049807 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03

For my son, Alexander, Non nova sed nove

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Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations ix xi Introduction 1 1. A Focus on Logic 6 Introduction 6 From transcendental to dialectical logic 7 Russell s factual logic 15 Frege s laws of thought 30 Wittgenstein s insight 41 Conclusion 48 2. Just the Facts? 49 Introduction 49 Theoretical readings of the Tractatus 50 Tractarian metaphysics 52 The picture theory? 57 The aim of analysis 71 Conclusion 86 3. Seeking Clarity Throughout 87 Introduction 87 Doctrinal truths 87 Against the therapists 90 Elucidating elucidations 98 Letting the tension stand 100 From logical form to forms of life 103 Conclusion 126 4. Without Explanation 128 Introduction 128 Demystifying consciousness 128 Stuff and nonsense 129 Dennett s new state of consciousness 133 vii

viii Contents Wittgenstin s expressions 136 The rule-following paradox 142 Straight and sceptical solutions 152 Wittgenstein s stance 159 Conclusion 171 5. Before Realism and Idealism 174 Introduction 174 Williams Wittgenstein 175 The failure of Malcolm s critique 177 A Davidsonian comparison 182 Wittgenstein exegsis 185 Conclusion 190 6. Description Alone 191 Introduction 191 Descriptions as reminders 192 Conceptual analysis and essence hunting 194 From analysis to revision 203 The rise of scientific naturalism 205 Contemplation, therapy or clarification 216 Conclusion 220 Notes 222 References 245 Index 253

Acknowledgements I don t believe I have ever invented a line of thinking, I have always taken one over from someone else. Wittgenstein 1980, CV, p. 19e As an undergraduate at St. Andrews, one of my first impressions of philosophy was that it seemed only to encourage interminable disputes that permitted no resolution. However, I had been attending lectures on practical ethics in the Moral Philosophy department. When I made my complaint to the then Chairman of Philosophy in the hope of changing subjects altogether he advised a more moderate course, switching to the study of Logic and Metaphysics. Although this made me much happier, it is not until writing this book that I have had the opportunity to return to the question of why certain fundamental issues in philosophy have to be approached in a particular way, giving the issue the proper and detailed attention it deserves. Ironically, as the final chapter of this book suggests, I now understand that seeing this in the right light should cause one to re-evaluate what is going on, and what role philosophers might play, in debates on important matters such as ethics. My greatest debt of thanks is owed to my to wife Farah and boys, Alex, Rais and Emerson, who have been unfairly robbed of my time while I have been writing this book. It has interrupted weekends and encroached on family holidays for far too long. I am grateful to all of the following philosophers, whose comments have helped to refine my thinking on many important issues: Gary Banham, Ignar Brinck, Paul Coates, Dan Fitzpatrick, Phil Hutchinson, Brendan Larvor, John Lippitt, Richard Menary, Peter and Daniele Moyal-Sharrock, Rupert Read, Anthony Rudd, Jane Singleton, David Simpson, Barry Stocker, Karsten Stueber, Jamie Turnbull, and those students who took my Language, Thought and Reality course in 2002 2003. Special thanks goes to Barry Curtis for his insightful and speedy comments on every chapter during the final stages. I am grateful to the audiences and organisers of the International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg, 2001, for feedback on material that has become part of Chapter 6. I am similarly grateful for the invitations to present material relating to this project at the University of Wales, Swansea in 1998 and University of Wales, Lampeter in 2001. ix

x Acknowledgements I would also like to express my gratitude to various editors and publishers for allowing me to re-use, rework and expand some of my previously published material in the composition of some of the chapters of this book. Chapter 3 makes use of, and builds on, the basic argument from my section of the paper, written jointly with John Lippitt, Making Sense of Nonsense: Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein, Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society Vol. XCVIII, Part III, 265 86. This material is reprinted by courtesy of the Editor of the Aristotelian Society 1998. Chapter 4 incorporates material from Consciousness Demystified: A Wittgensteinian Critique of Dennett s Project, The Monist, 78 (4) 1995. Chapter 5 is a slightly revised version of my paper Was the Later Wittgenstein a Transcendental Idealist?, in Current Issues in Idealism (eds. P. Coates and D. Hutto) Bristol: Thoemmes Press 1996. Finally, I give thanks to the University of Hertfordshire for its enduring support and encouragement in my research projects. Thanks too to Jen Nelson of Palgrave Macmillan, who, in taking over at the just the right time, helped to see this project to its conclusion.

Abbreviations G. Frege BLA FA PW T The Basic Laws of Arithmetic Foundations of Arithmetic Posthumous Writings The Thought: A Logical Inquiry G.W.F. Hegel EL SL The Encyclopaedia Logic Science of Logic I. Kant CPR The Critique of Pure Reason G.E. Moore ROI Refutation of Idealism B. Russell A LA MPD OD OKEW PLA POM POP TOK Autobiography Logical Atomism My Philosophical Development On Denoting Our Knowledge of the External World The Philosophy of Logical Atomism Principles of Mathematics The Problems of Philosophy Theory of Knowledge: The 1913 Manuscript L. Wittgenstein NB Notebooks, 1914 1916 TLP Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus xi

xii Abbreviations WVC Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle: Conversations Recorded by Friedrich Waismann BBB The Blue and Brown Books LFM Lectures on the Foundations of Mathematics RFM Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics PI Philosophical Investigations RPP I Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 1 RPP II Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 2 LWPP I Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 1 LWPP II Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 2 Z Zettel OC On Certainty C&V Culture and Value