Philosophy 351 - Wittgenstein: Language

In his posthumously published masterpiece, Philosophical Investigations (1953), Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) asked himself “What is your aim in philosophy?” and he answered: “To show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle.”  But who is the fly?  What is the fly-bottle?  Why does the fly need to be shown a way out?  And what is the way out?   We will explore these questions—in particular, we will examine Wittgenstein’s revolutionary approach to thinking about mind, language, and philosophy itself—through a careful reading of the Investigations and other important writings.

This is a two-part course that will extend over two semesters.  Either semester can be taken on its own with profit, as can both.

Fall semester. Professors Alexander George and Nishi Shah. (H or T)

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Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work, readings, and class participation.