Wittgenstein and the Limits of Language

The limit of language is one of the most pervasive notions found in Wittgenstein's work, both in his early Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and his later writings. Moreover, the idea of a limit of language is intimately related to important scholarly debates on Wittgenstein's philosophy, such as the debate between the so-called traditional and resolute interpretations, Wittgenstein's stance on transcendental idealism, and the philosophical import of Wittgenstein's latest work On Certainty. This collection includes thirteen original essays that provide a comprehensive overview of the various ways in which Wittgenstein appeals to the limit of language at different stages of his philosophical development. The essays connect the idea of a limit of language to the most important themes discussed by Wittgenstein-his conception of logic and grammar, the method of philosophy, the nature of the subject, and the foundations of knowledge-as well as his views on ethics, aesthetics, and religion. The essays also relate Wittgenstein's thought to his contemporaries, including Carnap, Frege, Heidegger, Levinas, and Moore.

Hanne Appelqvist is Docent of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her work on Wittgenstein has been published in journals such as the British Journal of Aesthetics, the British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Metaphilosophy, and History of Philosophy Quarterly.

Introduction Hanne Appelqvist Part I: Logic, Self, and Value in Wittgenstein's Early Philosophy 1. The Bounds of Nonsense A. W. Moore 2. Solipsism and the Graspability of Fact Colin Johnston 3. Wittgenstein and Levinas on the Transcendentality of Ethics Hanne Appelqvist and Panu-Matti Pöykkö Part II: Grammar, Linguistic Community, and Value in Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy 4. "We can go no further": Meaning, Use, and the Limits of Language William Child 5. Frege, Carnap, and the Limits of Asserting Leila Haaparanta 6. On Being Resolute Paul Standish 7. Moore's Paradox and the Limits of Language Use Yrsa Neuman 8. Who are "we" for Wittgenstein? Constantine Sandis 9. Animal Consciousness: A Limit of Language? Hans-Johann Glock 10. The Limits of Language in Wittgensteinian Philosophy of Religion Sami Pihlström 11. Measure for Measure: Wittgenstein's Critique of the Augustinian Picture of Music Eran Guter 12. Literature as the Measure of Our Lives Daniele Moyal-Sharrock