Wittgenstein's Copernican Revolution: The Question of Linguistic Idealism (Swansea Studies in Philosophy)

Wittgenstein's Copernican Revolution is concerned with how one is to conceive of the relation between language and reality without embracing Linguistic Realism and without courting any form of Linguistic Idealism either. It argues that this is precisely what Wittgenstein does and also examines some well known contemporary philosophers who have been concerned with this same question. "This book sets out to defend Wittgenstein against the charge that he is a linguistic idealist. The early chapters are concerned to elucidate what linguistic realism and linguistic idealism claim, and to show how Wittgenstein's contribution to an understanding of the relation between language and reality cuts through these two opposite philosophical theses without embracing either of them. In this context the author also compares Wittgenstein with Kant, bringing out the similarities and differences in their views. The book then moves on to look at various contemporary philosophers who have either charged Wittgenstein with or defended him against linguistic idealism: Williams, Anscombe, Diamond, Putnam. It concludes by returning once more to Wittgenstein and the comparison between him and Kant, and finally adds a comparison between Wittgenstein and Simone Weil."--BOOK JACKET. Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-17 Realism and its Rejection: Wittgenstein’s Copernican Revolution....Pages 18-37 The Dangers in Rejecting Realism: Linguistic Idealism....Pages 38-56 Wittgenstein and Linguistic Idealism....Pages 57-82 Bernard Williams: Wittgenstein and Idealism....Pages 83-95 Bernard Williams: A Sophisticated Realism....Pages 96-109 G. E. M. Anscombe: Was Wittgenstein a Linguistic Idealist?....Pages 110-130 Cora Diamond: Wittgenstein and the Realistic Spirit in Philosophy....Pages 131-145 Hilary Putnam: Metaphysical and Internal Realism....Pages 146-171 Hilary Putnam: Ethics and Reality....Pages 172-205 Conclusion: Reality and Human Life....Pages 206-219 Back Matter....Pages 220-226 Wittgenstein's Copernican Revolution explores the relation between language and reality without embracing Linguistic Realism and without courting any form of Linguistic Idealism either. It argues that this is precisely what Wittgenstein does. This book also examines some well known contemporary philosophers who have been concerned with this same question.
Realism is a philosophical position which we are tempted to embrace in different connections - for instance in connection with the philosophical question of the existence of the physical world.