Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations: An Introduction (Cambridge Introductions to Key Philosophical Texts) [Paperback]

David G. Stern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0521891329 | ISBN-13: 978-0521891325

David Stern examines Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations in this new introduction to a classic philosophical text, paying particular attention to the arguments of the Investigations as well as the way in which the work is written, especially the role of dialogue. While he concentrates on helping readers interpret the primary text, he also provides guidance to the unusually wide range of existing interpretations, and why they have inspired such a diversity of readings.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

In this new introduction to a classic philosophical text, David Stern examines Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations. He gives particular attention to both the arguments of the Investigations and the way in which the work is written, especially the role of dialogue in the book. While he concentrates on helping the reader to arrive at his or h er own interpretation of the primary text, he also provides guidance to the unusually wide range of existing interpretations, and to the reasons why the Investigations have inspired such a diversity of readings.

About the Author

David G. Stern is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Iowa. He is the author of Wittgenstein on Mind and Language (1995), editor of The Cambridge Companion to Wittgenstein (1996) and co-editor, with Béla Szabados, of Wittgenstein Reads Weininger: A Reassessment (2004).

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521891329
• ISBN-13: 978-0521891325
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent but demanding introduction, January 26, 2006

By 

Michael W. Taylor - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations: An Introduction (Cambridge Introductions to Key Philosophical Texts) (Paperback)

There are plenty of books about Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations currently on the market, but this is among the best. David Stern has achieved a remarkable feat of combining a clear and cogent explanation of Wittgenstein's ideas with a discussion of a large part of the leading secondary literature, and all within the space of 200 pages.

Central to Stern's approach to Wittgenstein's text is the contrast between what he calls a "Pyrrhonian" and "non-Pyrrhonian" interpretation (a distinction he takes from Robert Fogelin's Pyrrhonian reflections on knowledge and justification (Oxford University Press, 1994)). The Pyrrhonian interpretation is sceptical about all philosophical claims; it aims to prevent philosophy from getting started in the first place by dissolving the questions that lead to philosophical speculation. By contrast, a non-Pyrrhonian interpretation of Wittgenstein attributes to him specific philosophical theses: his aim, on this account, is not to put an end to philosophy, but to do philosophy better. Most of the standard introductions and commentaries (including Baker and Hacker's multi-volume Analytic Commentary) adopt a non-Pyrrhonian interpretation, but this is hard to reconcile with Wittgenstein's own professed statements about putting an end to philosophy. Stern reads the Philosophical Investigations as a dialogue between several different voices in the course of which Wittgenstein exposes the temptations that lead to philosophical theorising. In so doing he makes a compelling case for the Pyrrhonian reading.

One word of warning for potential readers. Although described as an "Introduction", and intended for the undergraduate market, the book is philosophically quite advanced and requires some familiarity with both Wittgenstein's text and the relevant secondary literature to be fully appreciated. That said, Stern's book can be highly recommended as a guide to Wittgenstein's later philosophy.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Guide to Reading Wittgenstein, April 12, 2008

By 

George Wrisley (Dahlonega, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations: An Introduction (Cambridge Introductions to Key Philosophical Texts) (Hardcover)

I don't have too much to add to Taylor's review. Reading Wittgenstein is notoriously difficult. As with Wittgenstein, and so much of philosophy, the more you reread Stern's book the more you will get out of it. There is a lot of really good guidance on how to approach the Philosophical Investigations.

I would modify Taylor's review a bit by saying that Stern emphasizes the tension in Wittgenstein between the Pyrrhonian and non-Pyrrhonian. That is, while Wittgenstein seems to be driven to understand and remove philosophical confusion, etc., he is also continually being seduced by philosophy and its problems. Philosophy is very much a struggle for Wittgenstein and Stern addresses this issue directly.

Another helpful thing that Stern does is to distinguish between three different voices in the Investigations as opposed to the usual two, namely, Wittgenstein and his interlocutor. Stern argues that there is Wittgenstein's narrator, an interlocutory voice, and a third voice, a commentator, who "provides an ironic commentary on [the exchanges of the narrator and interlocutory voice], a commentary consisting partly of objections to assumptions the debaters take for granted, and partly of platitudes about language and everyday life they have both overlooked" (Stern, 2004, p22). According to Stern, none of the voices can unproblematically be taken as Wittgenstein's own, though what he calls the narrator and the commentator voices are typically taken by other writers to express Wittgenstein's own views (by contrast, Stern understands the commentator to come closest to Wittgenstein's own views) (Stern, 2004, pp.22-23).

While I have certain disagreements with Stern, he is very much on top of Wittgenstein's material and brings much needed clarity and insight to a literature filled with many one-sided Wittgensteins.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.