Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations - Text and Context (Hardcover, New)

Although there is a vast amount of secondary literature on the "Philosophical Investigations", very little exists which considers the exegesis of this text. The apparently disjointed structure of the book has often been taken as a licence for interpreting passages out of context. This collection aims to show how important it is to consider the arguments which specify or authorize particular readings of certain passages. The essays are by Wittgenstein scholars. All approach the "Investigations" with the conviction that prior to pronouncements of the relevance or tenability of certain remarks one must always carefully consider Wittgenstein's text itself and locate the puzzling passages in their (immediate or original) contexts. Diverse exegetical approaches are represented; while some believe that the "Investigations" can be read as an independent text, others find it essential to look at the context of a particular remark, or of variations on it, in Wittgenstein's other texts. A debate emerges as authors differ in their assessment of the philosophical value of their material. This book should be of interest to advanced students and teachers of philosophy.