Wittgenstein and the Possibility of Discourse

Author BiographyRush Rhees (1905-1989) taught philosophy at the University of Swansea from 1940 to 1966, where he was subsequently made an Honorary Professor and Fellow. Among his principal teachers he included Alfred Kastil, John Anderson, G.E. Moore and, above all, Ludwig Wittgenstein. He was one of Wittgenstein’s literary executors and closest friends, as well as being an outstanding philosopher in his own right.Editor Biography D.Z. Phillips was Professor of Philosophy Emeritus and Rush Rhees Professor Emeritus at the University of Wales, Swansea and Danforth Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Claremont Graduate University. He was also Director of the Rush Rhees Archive, Swansea and the Associated Centre for Wittgensteinian Studies. He co-edited ‘Wittgenstein: Attention to Particulars’ (1989), a collection in Rhees' honour, and was the editor of seven of Rhees’ works published posthumously.

• Note to the second edition viiPreface: The Fundamental Problem of Philosophy viiiNote in editing xxiIntroduction xxvAnalytic table of contents xlvPart One Philosophy and LanguageI Plato, language and the growth of understanding 3II “What is language 21III The reality of language 33Part Two Games and LanguageIV Discussion and discourse 65V Games, calculations, discussions and conversations 81Part Three Beyond Wittgenstein’s BuildersVI Signals and saying something 97VII Language: a family of games? 116VIII Understanding what is said 130IX Wittgenstein’s builders – recapitulation 151Part Four Belonging to LanguageX Conversation and institutions 173XI Language and generality 181XII Language, speaking and common intelligibility 210XIII Philosophy, life and language 243Appendix: On Wittgenstein 257Rush Rhees: a biographical sketch 266Index 276