Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Ludwig Wittgenstein's conception of philosophy and how his philosophy can be divided into two very different 'philosophemes', resulting in the differentiation between the early and later Wittgenstein. The paper analyzes the views of the early and the late Wittgenstein. It then examines the bridge that allows access to a unifying interpretation between the two.

Table of Contents:
Philosophical Problems
Early Wittgenstein's Logical Construction of a Philosophical System
Nature of Philosophy as Presented in Tractatus
Nature of Philosophy as Presented in Philosophical Investigations (PI)
Continuity of Wittgenstein's Conception of Philosophy
Conclusion

From the Paper:

" Wittgenstein maintains in all his early and later works that philosophy is an activity of clarifying propositions and preventing us from being led astray by the misleading appearances of ordinary language. The difference, however, lies in the method employed to clarify propositions. The earlier method of philosophy was to analyze propositions in order to reveal their hidden logical structure, however the later Wittgenstein, while still maintaining that the task of philosophy is to critique language, states that the method to clarify propositions is to show how they are applied in language games. This later method is concerned with the grammar of language and how language is used, it has nothing to do with criticizing the nature of language."
"It can be concluded that the aim of Wittgenstein's philosophy has always been "to show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle, to free it from the need to answer many deep questions due to a misunderstanding of the uses of language". (PI, 309)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Alva Noe, Robert, "Wittgenstein, Phenomenology and What it Makes to Say", Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Vol.54, No.1, 1994, pp.1-42 Website URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031- 8205%28199403%2954%3A1%3C134%3AWPAWIM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-N
• Carruthers, Peter, "The Metaphysics of Tractatus", Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990
• Findlay, J.N., "Wittgenstein: A Critique", UK: England, Routledge& Kegan Paul plc, 1984
• Gruender , David, "Wittgenstein on Explanation and Description", The Journal of Philosophy, Vol.59, No.19, 1962, pp. 523-30
• Haller, Rudolph, "Questions on Wittgenstein", UK: London, Routledge, 1988

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