Wittgenstein: Understanding And Meaning

This is a much revised and extended new edition of Part II of the first volume of the monumental four-volume Analytical Commentary on the Philosophical Investigations. Takes into account much new material that was unavailable when the first edition was written Following Baker’s death in 2002, P.M.S. Hacker has rewritten many sections of exegesis completely Part II: Exegesis §§1-184 has been thoroughly revised in the light of the electronic publication of Wittgenstein’s Nachlass, and includes many new interpretations of the remarks, a history of the composition of the Philosophical Investigations and an overview of its structure The accompanying Part I: Essays now includes two completely new essays: 'Meaning and Use' and 'The Recantation of a Metaphysician'; the essays: ‘The Augustinian Conception of Language’, ‘The Language-Game Method’, ‘Contextual Dicta and Contextual Principles’, ‘Philosophy’, ‘Surveyability and Surveyable Representations’, and ‘Truth and the General Propositional Form’ are redrafted and expanded, incorporating new source materials and new arguments, as well as taking into account debates of the last quarter of a century The revisions will ensure that this remains the definitive reference work on Wittgenstein’s masterpiece for the foreseeable future

Acknowledgements. Introduction to Part II: Exegesis. Note to the paperback edition 2009. Abbreviations. The history of the composition of the Philosophical Investigations. An overview of the structure and argument of the Philosophical Investigations. Exegesis. The Title. The Motto. The Preface. Chapter 1 The Augustinian conception of language (§§1–27(a)). Chapter 2 Illusions of naming: ostensive definition, logically proper names, simples and samples, and analysis (§§27(b)–64). Chapter 3 Family resemblance, determinacy of sense, and the quest for essence (§§65–88). Chapter 4 Philosophy (§§89–133). Chapter 5 The general propositional form (§§134–42). Chapter 6 Understanding and ability (§§143–84). Index.