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Sir Anthony Kenny was formerly Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Oxford University, Master of Balliol College, Oxford and Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford. He was also President of the British Academy, Chairman of the Board of the British Library and a Trustee of Wittgenstein’s copyrights. He is the author or editor of more than 30 books, including The Wittgenstein Reader (Second Edition, 2006), A Brief History of Western Philosophy (1998) and The Legacy of Wittgenstein (1984), all published by Blackwell.'Kenny's book remains the best general introduction to Wittgenstein’s work as a whole. Careful, clear, persistent in its pursuit of puzzles, but always stylish and accessible, it will take even a beginner deep into the most difficult issues raised by Wittgenstein’s texts, while still being helpful and provocative to advanced students and scholars.'<br /> --Michael Morris, University of Sussex<br /> <p><br /> </p> <p>'…Sir Anthony’s remains the most useful critical introduction to Wittgenstein’s life and thought. The updated introduction is more than welcome. Among students and, especially, teachers of Wittgenstein, the long-awaited re-release of this classic is cause for celebration.'<br /> <i>--</i>Richard Kortum, East Tennessee State University</p>
- Widely praised for providing a lucid and historically informed account of Wittgenstein’s core philosophical concerns.
- Demonstrates the continuity between Wittgenstein’s early and later writings.
- Provides a persuasive argument for the unity of Wittgenstein’s thought.
- Kenny also assesses Wittgenstein’s influence in the latter part of the twentieth century.
Preface vii
Abbreviations in References to Works by Wittgenstein ix
Introduction to the Revised Edition xi
1 Biographical Sketch of Wittgenstein’s Philosophy 1
2 The Legacy of Frege and Russell 15
3 The Criticism of Principia 35
4 The Picture Theory of the Proposition 44
5 The Metaphysics of Logical Atomism 58
6 The Dismantling of Logical Atomism 82
7 Anticipation, Intentionality and Verification 96
8 Understanding, Thinking and Meaning 111
9 Language-Games 126
10 Private Languages 141
11 On Scepticism and Certainty 160
12 The Continuity of Wittgenstein’s Philosophy 173
Suggestions for Further Reading 184
Index 186
Kenny's study is also remarkable for demonstrating the continuity between Wittgenstein’s early and late writings. Focusing on Wittgenstein’s philosophy of mind and language, Kenny closely examines the works of the middle years. He exposes apparent conflicts and then goes on to reconcile them, providing a persuasive argument for the unity of Wittgenstein’s thought.
This revised edition includes an extensive new introduction in which Kenny outlines developments in Wittgenstein scholarship since the book was first published and assesses Wittgenstein’s influence in the latter part of the twentieth century.