The Principles of Linguistic Philosophy

In this study Friedrich Waismann gives a systematic presentation of insights into philosophical problems which can be achieved by clarifying the language in which the problems are posed. Much of the material and the method itself derive from Wittgenstein’s work in the early 1930s. The book was originally envisaged as a well organized account of Wittgenstein’s distinctive form of linguistic philosophy to enable the Vienna Circle to incorporate these valuable methods into their own programme of analysis. The project evolved over many years into a wide-ranging survey of the dissolution of many philosophical problems and the construction of a systematic philosophical grammar. Waismann shows how puzzlement can be removed by careful description of the uses of the terms employed in framing problems. At the same time, he sketches a general framework for analysis of language, including chapters on names, general terms, logical operators, propositions, and questions. This book is a presentation of Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language in a format much easier to follow than his own intricate texts. Waismann exhibits the merits of this method of philosophizing. This book should serve as a useful text for those who wish to understand the method and power of linguistic philosophy.