Wittgenstein

First published in 1973, Sir Anthony Kenny’s classic introduction to Wittgenstein was widely praised for offering a lucid and historically informed account of the philosopher’s core concerns. Kenny′s study is also remarkable for demonstrating the continuity between Wittgenstein’s early and late writings. Focusing on Wittgenstein’s philosophy of mind and language, Kenny closely examines the works of the middle years. He exposes apparent conflicts and then goes on to reconcile them, providing a persuasive argument for the unity of Wittgenstein’s thought. This revised edition includes an extensive new introduction in which Kenny outlines developments in Wittgenstein scholarship since the book was first published and assesses Wittgenstein’s influence in the latter part of the twentieth century.

Preface. Abbreviations in References to Works by Wittgenstein. Introduction to the Revised Edition. 1. Biographical Sketch of Wittgenstein′s Philosophy. 2. The Legacy of Frege and Russell. 3. The Criticism of Principia . 4. The Picture Theory of the Proposition. 5. The Metaphysics of Logical Atomism. 6. The Dismantling of Logical Atomism. 7. Anticipation, Intentionality and Verification. 8. Understanding, Thinking and Meaning. 9. Language–Games. 10. Private Languages. 11. On Scepticism and Certainty. 12. The Continuity of Wittgenstein′s Philosophy. Suggestions for Further Reading. Index.

Sir Anthony Kenny was formerly Pro–Vice–Chancellor at Oxford University, Master of Balliol College, Oxford and Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford. He was also President of the British Academy, Chairman of the Board of the British Library and a Trustee of Wittgenstein’s copyrights. He is the author or editor of more than 30 books, including The Wittgenstein Reader (Second Edition, 2006), A Brief History of Western Philosophy (1998) and The Legacy of Wittgenstein (1984), all published by Blackwell.

′Kenny′s book remains the best general introduction to Wittgenstein’s work as a whole. Careful, clear, persistent in its pursuit of puzzles, but always stylish and accessible, it will take even a beginner deep into the most difficult issues raised by Wittgenstein’s texts, while still being helpful and provocative to advanced students and scholars.′ ––Michael Morris, University of Sussex ′…Sir Anthony’s remains the most useful critical introduction to Wittgenstein’s life and thought. The updated introduction is more than welcome. Among students and, especially, teachers of Wittgenstein, the long–awaited re–release of this classic is cause for celebration.′ –– Richard Kortum, East Tennessee State University