Understanding the Philosophical Method(s) in Wittgenstein's 'Philosophical Investigations'

• Grant number: 17/05530-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy
• Principal Investigator: Arley Ramos Moreno
• Grantee: Florian Franken Figueiredo
• Supervisor: Severin Schroeder
• Host Institution: Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (IFCH). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of Reading, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/21159-3 - The practical significance of use and its conceptual implications for the understanding of language, method and philosophy in the later Wittgenstein, BP.PD

Abstract

The research aims to provide a new understanding of Wittgenstein's concept of philosophical method(s) in his Philosophical Investigations. In discussion with dominant interpretations in the field it develops an exegetical point of view, highlighting the practical aspects of Wittgen-stein's conception of language in his later writings. It is argued that in the center of Wittgen-stein's practical thinking stands the idea that language-games are activities in which language-applications are connected to particular purposes. Based on this idea, the research project pro-vides an understanding of a general concept of philosophical method on the one hand and single philosophical methods that in each case dissolve conceptual confusions in a specific way on the other hand. It is argued that the purpose of single methods is clarification by means of justifying the use of a language-application. The methods make the normative sources of language-games perspicuous in order to find out if the use of language-applications is justified. Referring to recent discussion regarding theories of normativity it is suggested to conceive of the normative sources of language-games as 'normative requirements'. This view provides the advantage that language-games which are arranged in a perspicuous representa-tion can be formalized. Their formalization provides a new understanding regarding both Wittgenstein's general concept of philosophical method and single methods. On the one hand the normative sources of language-games are identified and compared with one another in specific methods that may differ from one another. On the other hand those methods show a common argumentative structure of the philosophical method in a general sense which helps to understand Wittgenstein's trains of thought during the Philosophical Investigations.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FIGUEIREDO, FLORIAN FRANKEN. Wittgenstein and Tomasello on understanding intentions. RIVISTA ITALIANA DI FILOSOFIA DEL LINGUAGGIO, v. 12, n. 2, p. 58-69, 2018. (17/05530-9)