Blind Obedience

Paradox and Learning in the Later Wittgenstein

Meredith Williams

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2009
• eBook ISBN: 9781135203221
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosophy History & Theory

There is considerable debate amongst philosophers as to the basic philosophical problem Wittgenstein is attempting to solve in Philosophical Investigations. In this bold and original work, Meredith Williams argues that it is the problem of "normative similarity".

In Blind Obedience Williams demonstrates how Wittgenstein criticizes traditional, representationalist theories of language by employing the 'master/novice' distinction of the learner, arguing that this distinction is often overlooked but fundamental to understanding philosophical problems about mind and language.

The book not only provides revealing discussions of Wittgenstein's corpus but also intricate analyses of the work of Brandom, Dummett, Frege, Sellars, Davidson, Cavell and others. These are usefully compared in a bid to better situate Wittgenstein's non-intellectualist, non-theoretical approach and to highlight is unique features.

Table of contents

• CONTENTS
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
• 1 STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS
• 2 PLAYING THE GAME
• 3 THE DOMESTICATION OF REFERENCE
• 4 LOGICAL FORM AND THE PARADOX OF THOUGHT
• 5 RULES AND THE PARADOX OF INTERPRETATION
• 6 NORMATIVITY AND THE THREAT OF REGULARISM
• 7 NECESSITY AND THE THREAT OF PSYCHOLOGISM
• 8 SENSATION AND THE PARADOXES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
• 9 CONCLUDING REMARKS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• INDEX