The Later Wittgenstein and Moral Philosophy (Nordic Wittgenstein Studies Book 4)

This book shows that Ludwig Wittgenstein's later philosophical methods can be fruitfully applied to several problems in contemporary moral philosophy. The author considers Wittgenstein's ethical views and addresses such topics as meta-ethics, objectivity in ethics and moral perception. Readers will gain an insight into how Wittgenstein thought about philosophical problems and a new way of looking at moral questions. The book consists of three parts. In the first part, Wittgenstein's later philosophical methods are discussed, including his comparison of philosophical methods to therapies. The book then goes on to explore how these methods give insight into Wittgenstein's ethical views. Readers will see how these are better understood when read in the light of his later philosophical thought. In the third part, Wittgenstein's later methods are applied to problems in contemporary moral philosophy, including a look at questions for moral advice. The author reviews and criticizes some of the secondary literature on Wittgenstein's later philosophical methods and indicates how the topic of the book can be developed in future research. There is something of value for readers of all levels in this insightful and well written volume. It will particularly appeal to scholars and students of Wittgenstein, of philosophy, and of ethics. -- Back cover Acknowledgements 6 Contents 9 Original Places of Publication 12 Chapter 1: Introduction 14 1.1 Wittgenstein’s Ethical Views 15 1.1.1 The Problem of Scarcity 15 1.1.2 How to Get Clearer on Wittgenstein’s Ethical Views 16 1.2 Wittgenstein’s Ethical Views and His Later Philosophy 18 1.3 Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy and Contemporary Moral Philosophy 22 1.4 Structure and Overview of the Book 27 1.4.1 Part I. Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy 27 1.4.2 Part II. Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy and His Ethical Views 30 1.4.3 Part III. Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy and Contemporary Moral Philosophy 33 References 37 Part I: Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy 41 Chapter 2: On Wittgenstein’s Comparison of Philosophical Methods to Therapies 42 2.1 Introduction 42 2.2 The Illness: Are Philosophical Questions Illnesses? 44 2.3 The Patient and the Therapist: Are They Philosophers? 47 2.4 The Therapies: Are They Psychological? 50 2.5 The Ideal of Health: The End of Philosophy? 54 2.6 Conclusion 56 References 57 Chapter 3: Surveyable Representations, the ‘Lecture on Ethics’, and Moral Philosophy 59 3.1 Introduction 59 3.2 The Concept of a Surveyable Representation: Two Interpretations 61 3.3 The Concept of a Surveyable Representation: A Third Interpretation 64 3.4 The ‘Lecture on Ethics’ as a Surveyable Representation 68 3.5 Are Surveyable Representations Useful for Contemporary Moral Philosophy? 73 References 77 Part II: Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy and His Ethical Views 79 Chapter 4: Wittgenstein, Meta-ethics, and the Subject Matter of Moral Philosophy 80 4.1 Introduction 80 4.2 ‘Ethics Has No Particular Subject Matter’ 81 4.3 ‘There Is and Can Be No Such Thing as Meta-ethics’ 86 4.4 ‘A Classification by Use Rather than by Subject Matter’ 90 4.5 ‘Ethics Is a Pervasive Dimension of Life Rather than a Distinguishable Region or Strand of It’ 94 4.6 Conclusion 97 References 98 Chapter 5: Wittgenstein and Objectivity in Ethics. A Reply to Brandhorst 100 5.1 Introduction 100 5.2 Brandhorst’s Arguments 101 5.2.1 In a Different Way, Different Kinds, in a Different Sense 102 5.2.2 No View from Nowhere 102 5.2.3 There Is a Language-Game in Which the Expression Has a Use 103 5.2.4 A Deflationary Conception, No Metaphysical Depth 103 5.2.5 With a Certain Conception of X, We Also Obtain a Conception of a Related Notion Y 103 5.2.6 The Analogy to Logic and Mathematics 104 5.3 Arguments for Objectivity? 105 5.3.1 In a Different Way, Different Kinds, in a Different Sense 105 5.3.2 No View from Nowhere 105 5.3.3 There Is a Language-Game in Which the Expression Has a Use 107 5.3.4 A Deflationary Conception, No Metaphysical Depth 107 5.3.5 With a Certain Conception of X, We Also Obtain a Conception of a Related Notion Y 108 5.3.6 The Analogy to Logic and Mathematics 109 5.4 Brandhorst’s Conception of Objectivity 110 5.5 How Brandhorst Reads Wittgenstein on Objectivity 113 5.6 Conclusion 118 References 118 Part III: Wittgenstein’s Later Philosophy and Contemporary Moral Philosophy 120 Chapter 6: Seeing Colour, Seeing Emotion, Seeing Moral Value 121 6.1 Introduction 121 6.2 Seeing Colour, Seeing Emotion, Seeing Moral Value: Similarities 123 6.3 The Active Element 126 6.4 Education and Concept-Mastery 128 6.5 Blindness 130 6.6 Appropriate Perceivers and Normal Observation Conditions 132 6.7 Conclusion 135 References 137 Chapter 7: Do Moral Questions Ask for Answers? 139 7.1 Introduction 139 7.2 Why Is S2 Absurd? 140 7.3 Why S2 Is Absurd 144 7.3.1 Jonathan’s Question 144 7.3.2 Mary’s Answer 146 7.3.3 Jonathan’s Reaction 150 7.4 Moral Questions and Narrow Answers 152 References 158 Chapter 8: How Morality Can Be Absent from Moral Arguments 160 8.1 Introduction 160 8.2 Denying a Moral Certainty 161 8.3 No ‘Attitude Towards a Soul’ 167 8.4 No Deepened Understanding 170 8.5 Ignoring the Personal 173 8.6 An Absence of Morality 177 References 179 Chapter 9: Conclusion 181 References 187 Index 189 Front Matter ....Pages i-xiv Introduction (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 1-27 Front Matter ....Pages 29-29 On Wittgenstein’s Comparison of Philosophical Methods to Therapies (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 31-47 Surveyable Representations, the ‘Lecture on Ethics’, and Moral Philosophy (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 49-68 Front Matter ....Pages 69-69 Wittgenstein, Meta-ethics, and the Subject Matter of Moral Philosophy (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 71-90 Wittgenstein and Objectivity in Ethics. A Reply to Brandhorst (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 91-110 Front Matter ....Pages 111-111 Seeing Colour, Seeing Emotion, Seeing Moral Value (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 113-130 Do Moral Questions Ask for Answers? (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 131-151 How Morality Can Be Absent from Moral Arguments (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 153-173 Conclusion (Benjamin De Mesel)....Pages 175-182 Back Matter ....Pages 183-186