On Certainty

P. M. S. HACKER is an Emeritus Fellow at St John’s College, Oxford, and one of the world’s leading authorities on the philosophy of Wittgenstein. He has authored 25 books and over 175 papers, with significant contributions to the philosophy of language, mind, and neuroscience. His works include Philosophical Foundations of Neuroscience (co-authored with M. R. Bennett) and the four-volume Human Nature series.

"This is the new interpretation of On Certainty that Wittgenstein scholars have been waiting for, overseen by one of the world's foremost experts on Wittgenstein's work."—Duncan Pritchard, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine"Peter Hacker's new edition and translation of On Certainty is a clear improvement on the previous one. Hacker recovers material unjustly left out, provides illuminating notes, improves on the earlier translation at many places, and adds a helpful scholarly article on the genesis of the text. A must for anyone interested in Wittgenstein, epistemology, or simply philosophy."—Hanoch Ben-Yami, Professor of Philosophy, Central European University"This impeccably researched volume, with its lucid new facing-page translation of a newly organized and more comprehensive German text, is sure to rank as the definitive edition of Wittgenstein's seminal writings on certainty."—John Cottingham, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, University of Reading"I am completely sure that P.M. S. Hacker's translation of On Certainty will become the definitive English version of Wittgenstein's notorious text, not least because Hacker takes careful recourse to highly relevant material – on knowledge, belief, certainty, and doubt regarding the mental attributes of others – from Wittgenstein's last notebooks. In so doing, he provides invaluable commentary to oft-overlooked supplementary material. A fillip to both Wittgenstein studies and epistemology, this new bilingual edition promises to engage scholars for many decades indeed."—Constantine Sandis, Founding Director of Lex Academic and Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire

• Acknowledgements viiEditorial Preface to the New Edition and Translation of On Certainty ixThe Genesis of On Certainty xiiiAbbreviations xxiÜber Gewißheit On Certainty 2Notes to the New Edition of On Certainty 95Anhang 1: Auszüge aus MS 169 Appendix 1: Excerpts from MS 169 106Anhang 2: Auszüge aus MS 170 Appendix 2: Excerpts from MS 170 110Anhang 3: Auszüge aus MS 171 Appendix 3: Excerpts from MS 171 112Anhang 4: Auszüge aus MS 173 Appendix 4: Excerpts from MS 173 115Anhang 5: Auszüge aus MS 174 Appendix 5: Excerpts from MS 174 119Appendix 6: Norman Malcolm’s Notes on Conversations with Wittgenstein in Autumn 1949 125Register 131Index 135