Communication and conversion in Wittgenstein's 'On Certainty'
This thesis argues that Wittgensteinâs investigation into the concept of certainty did not begin with On Certainty. The origins of his analysis can be found in Philosophical Investigations. Although it was responding to Mooreâs A Defence of Common Sense and Proof of the External World that produced Wittgensteinâs most sustained treatment of the topic, this thesis suggests that On Certainty should still be seen as a development of Philosophical Investigations in a particular direction, rather than a wholly separate interest in epistemology. In particular it is argued that Wittgensteinâs use-based conception of linguistic meaning cannot be put to one side when considering his remarks on certainty. Whilst there has been a burgeoning interest in On Certainty over the past two decades, only very limited efforts have been made at charting the relationship between the two texts, especially as to whether On Certainty can be taken to inform our reading of Philosophical Investigations. Thus far the available literature has neglected the relationship between the concept of the form of life and that of the world-picture. I propose that the concepts are distinct from one another but related, and that properly differentiating
Buckhalter, James Matthew
Communication and conversion in Wittgenstein's 'On Certainty'. This thesis argues that Wittgensteinâs investigation into the concept of certainty did not begin with On Certainty. The origins of his analysis can be found in Philosophical Investigations. Although it was responding to Mooreâs A Defence of Common Sense and Proof of the External World that produced Wittgensteinâs most sustained treatment of the topic, this thesis suggests that On Certainty should still be seen as a development of Philosophical Investigations in a particular direction, rather than a wholly separate interest in epistemology. In particular it is argued that Wittgensteinâs use-based conception of linguistic meaning cannot be put to one side when considering his remarks on certainty. Whilst there has been a burgeoning interest in On Certainty over the past two decades, only very limited efforts have been made at charting the relationship between the two texts, especially as to whether On Certainty can be taken to inform our reading of Philosophical Investigations. Thus far the available literature has neglected the relationship between the concept of the form of life and that of the world-picture. I propose that the concepts are distinct from one another but related, and that properly differentiating
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