The thought of immanence in Wittgenstein

Abstract

Wittgenstein's thought had a deep influence on the so-called analytical philosophy of the 20th century. Even so, it is necessary to recognize that what we find in Wittgenstein's Nachlaß goes far beyond the limits of this tradition. We find a work which, in different levels, partakes an ideal of immanent elucidation with other trends of thought, and this is something that we cannot put aside if we want to understand Wittgenstein's proposal in its full extent. In virtue of this, we will survey some of the main themes of Wittgenstein's philosophy, making an extensive use of the texts belonging to his Nachlaß. We will emphasize six topics: 1. The philosophy of the Tractatus: the pair saying/showing, and the importance of the operator N in the treatment of verifunctionality and quantification; 2. The ineffable character of the Ethical in the Tractatus: mysticism, solipsism and nonsense; 3. From phenomenology to grammar: the trasition to the "second" Wittgenstein; 4. The questions surrounding religious belief in the texts written in the 30's; 5. Methods of philosophy: the Philosophical Investigations as an impossible book; 6. Certainty and truth in the observations written in 1949-51: the practical fundamentation of our knowledge and the purpose of philosophical analysis. (AU)