An Analysis of Ludwig Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations

In Philosophical Investigations, Ludwig Wittgenstein presents a radical approach to the philosophy of language and the mind, setting out a startlingly fresh conception of philosophy itself. Wittgenstein begins from the insight that most philosophical problems trace back to incorrect assumptions about the nature of language. While previous works typically described a problem and debated solutions, Wittgenstein takes the unique approach of treating philosophy not as a theory, but as an activity. He urges philosophers to concern themselves with ordinary life. Investigations revolutionized English-language philosophy and is consistently cited as one of the most influential works of the century.

Dr Michael O'Sullivan is a tutor in the Department of Philosophy, King's College London. He is the Editor of Wittgenstein and Perception.

Ways in to the Text Who was Ludwig Wittgenstein? What does Philosophical Investigations Say? Why does Philosophical Investigations Matter? Section 1: Influences Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context Module 2: Academic Context Module 3: The Problem Module 4: The Author's Contribution Section 2: Ideas Module 5: Main Ideas Module 6: Secondary Ideas Module 7: Achievement Module 8: Place in the Author's Work Section 3: Impact Module 9: The First Responses Module 10: The Evolving Debate Module 11: Impact and Influence Today Module 12: Where Next? Glossary of Terms People Mentioned in the Text Works Cited