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Wittgenstein: Connections and Controversies
Focusing on diverse aspects of Wittgenstein's philosophy, this volume not only provides a valuable introduction, but also investigates connections between the philosophy of Wittgenstein, other philosophers--in particular, Frege, Frazer, Carnap, and Strawson--and philosophical trends. It also illuminates very different aspects of Wittgenstein's thought, probing into the controversies it stimulates, as well as into its influence.
- GenresPhilosophy
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2001
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About the author
P.M.S. Hacker
50 books21 followersPeter Hacker was born in London in 1939. He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at The Queen's College, Oxford from 1960-63, obtaining a Congratulatory First Class degree. He was elected to a graduate studentship at St Antony's College, Oxford, where he remained from 1963-65, writing a doctoral dissertation under the supervision of H.L.A. Hart on the subject of 'Rules and Duties'. In 1965 he was elected to a Junior Research Fellowship at Balliol College. In 1966 he completed his doctorate and was granted the D. Phil.
He became a Tutorial Fellow at St John's College in 1966, a post he held until his retirement in 2006, when he was appointed to an Emeritus Research Fellowship at St John's. He was College Librarian 1986-2006, and Keeper of the College Pictures 1986-1998. In 2010 he was elected to an Honorary Fellowship at The Queen's College, Oxford.
He was a visiting lecturer at Makere College, Uganda (1968), a visiting professor at Swarthmore College, Pa., U.S.A (1973), a visiting professor at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, U.S.A. (1974), a Milton C. Scott Visiting Professor, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario (1984). He was elected to a British Academy Research Readership in Humanities 1985-7. In 1986 he was again a visiting professor for a semester at Swarthmore College, Pa., U.S.A. He was elected to a Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship (1991-4). From 1992 to 2010 he served as a member of the Rothschild Fellowships Academic Committee, Yad Hanadiv, Jerusalem. He was a visiting fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation at Bellagio, Italy in 2006. He was a visiting research fellow at the University of Bologna for a semester in 2009. In 2013 he was appointed Professor of philosophy at the University of Kent at Canterbury for three years.
He is an associate editor of Philosophical Investigations, and of Wittgenstein Studies. From 1997 to 2003 he was an associate editor, 20th century philosophers - Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. From 1998 to 2003 he was a Trustee of the Wittgenstein papers and Member of the Committee of Editors; since 2003 he has been a member and Secretary of the Advisory Committee of Wittgenstein Editors.
He became a Tutorial Fellow at St John's College in 1966, a post he held until his retirement in 2006, when he was appointed to an Emeritus Research Fellowship at St John's. He was College Librarian 1986-2006, and Keeper of the College Pictures 1986-1998. In 2010 he was elected to an Honorary Fellowship at The Queen's College, Oxford.
He was a visiting lecturer at Makere College, Uganda (1968), a visiting professor at Swarthmore College, Pa., U.S.A (1973), a visiting professor at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, U.S.A. (1974), a Milton C. Scott Visiting Professor, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario (1984). He was elected to a British Academy Research Readership in Humanities 1985-7. In 1986 he was again a visiting professor for a semester at Swarthmore College, Pa., U.S.A. He was elected to a Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship (1991-4). From 1992 to 2010 he served as a member of the Rothschild Fellowships Academic Committee, Yad Hanadiv, Jerusalem. He was a visiting fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation at Bellagio, Italy in 2006. He was a visiting research fellow at the University of Bologna for a semester in 2009. In 2013 he was appointed Professor of philosophy at the University of Kent at Canterbury for three years.
He is an associate editor of Philosophical Investigations, and of Wittgenstein Studies. From 1997 to 2003 he was an associate editor, 20th century philosophers - Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. From 1998 to 2003 he was a Trustee of the Wittgenstein papers and Member of the Committee of Editors; since 2003 he has been a member and Secretary of the Advisory Committee of Wittgenstein Editors.
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March 31, 2013
This is a collection of thirteen essays related to a range of issues concerning Wittgenstein's philosophy. Topics include Wittgenstein's views on The Golden Bough; the idea of nonsense in the Tractatus; Wittgenstein's relation to Frege in both his early and late philosophy; the Vienna Circle's development of ostensive definition; Saul Kripke's take on the so-called private language argument; and a Wittgensteinian appraisal of Carnap's and Strawson's views of metaphysics.
Anyone familiar with Hacker's monumental four-volume companion to the Philosophical Investigations (partly co-written with the late Dr Baker) will know roughly what to expect: formidable arguments elegantly expressed and supported by a superb grasp of historical detail. At his best Hacker can be both witty and brutally thorough. His demolition of Cora Diamond's views on nonsense in the Tractatus was almost painful to read. I kept thinking "Stop it now, Peter, she's had enough".
Although it contains an excellent introductory essay on Wittgenstein this is not a suitable book for newcomers. Nor is it Hacker at his absolute best (ie, the companion to the PI or his magisterial book on Wittgenstein's place in 20th Century analytic philosophy). But for Wittgenstein obsessives (guilty as charged) it is well worth reading - especially, perhaps, the final two essays where Hacker sketches a post-Wittgenstein approach to metaphysics (an approach he has since begun to put into practice with his recent-ish book "Human Nature: the Categorical Framework").
Anyone familiar with Hacker's monumental four-volume companion to the Philosophical Investigations (partly co-written with the late Dr Baker) will know roughly what to expect: formidable arguments elegantly expressed and supported by a superb grasp of historical detail. At his best Hacker can be both witty and brutally thorough. His demolition of Cora Diamond's views on nonsense in the Tractatus was almost painful to read. I kept thinking "Stop it now, Peter, she's had enough".
Although it contains an excellent introductory essay on Wittgenstein this is not a suitable book for newcomers. Nor is it Hacker at his absolute best (ie, the companion to the PI or his magisterial book on Wittgenstein's place in 20th Century analytic philosophy). But for Wittgenstein obsessives (guilty as charged) it is well worth reading - especially, perhaps, the final two essays where Hacker sketches a post-Wittgenstein approach to metaphysics (an approach he has since begun to put into practice with his recent-ish book "Human Nature: the Categorical Framework").
Displaying 1 of 1 review