Wittgenstein, Scepticism and Naturalism
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- ISBN 9781839999765
- Weight: 454g
- Dimensions: 153 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 14 Jul 2026
- Publisher: Anthem Press
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Central to any interpretation of Wittgenstein’s later philosophy is an understanding of his philosophical method and the nature of the turn which characterises the evolution from his early to his later work. In the essays in Wittgenstein, Scepticism and Naturalism, Marie McGinn argues that this methodological shift has at its heart a highly distinctive form of naturalism, which has its roots in the works of Goethe. This form of naturalism emphasises achieving a clarified view of complex, natural phenomena in their natural setting, with a view to describing patterns and connections that are in plain view. Wittgenstein is seen as applying these methods to the task of conceptual clarification, whose aim is to dissolve philosophical problems and paradoxes. The essays cover the following topics: scepticism about the external world; scepticism about other minds; knowledge and belief; meaning and rule-following; psychological states and the distinctive first-person use of psychological concepts; the relation between the early and the later philosophy; and the nature of Wittgenstein’s naturalism.
Marie McGinn is Professor Emerita in Philosophy, University of York, UK. She is the author of The Routledge Guidebook to Wittgenstein’s ‘Philosophical Investigations’ (2013) and Elucidating the Tractatus (OUP 2007) and has published widely on all aspects of Wittgenstein’s philosophy.
