Wittgenstein, Empiricism, and Language [Hardcover]

This provocative study exposes the ways in which Wittgenstein's philosophical views have been misunderstood, including the failure to recognize the reductionist character of Wittgenstein's work. Author John Cook provides well-documented proof that Wittgenstein did not hold views commonly attributed to him, arguing that Wittgenstein's later work was mistakenly seen as a development of G. E. Moore's philosophy--which Wittgenstein in fact vigorously attacked. He also points to an underestimation of Russell's influence on Wittgenstein's thinking. Cook goes on to show how these misunderstandings have had grave consequences for philosophy at large, and proposes that a more subtle appreciation of linguistic philosophy can yield valuable results.

Preface
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Part I: The Way Out of the Flytrap
1. The Subject Matter of Philosophy
2. Empiricism and the Flight from Solipsism
3. Theories and Descriptions
4. Speakers and Noise Makers
5. Reductionism and Inflation
Part II: Reductionism and Criteria
6. The Ontological and Linguistic Aims of Reductionism
7. A Russellian Argument and Wittgensteinian Criteria
8. The Concept of Criteria
9. What Criteria Cannot Be
Part III: Philosophy and Language
10. Standard Ordinary Language Philosophy
11. Moore's Method
12. Wittgenstein and the Metaphysical Use of Words
13. Metaphysical Ordinary Language Philosophy
14. Investigative Ordinary Language Philosophy
15. Investigative Appearances
Appendix
Name Index
Subject Index

This is a very good book. It is short but very well documented; the references are many, telling, and often clinching. It is clearly written and argued, and it has extraordinary thesis....Cook's book performed, for me, the invaluable service of renewing my interest in Wittgenstein and causing me to re-think my understanding of him....Buy this book, and recommend itl#.