Wittgenstein on Mind and Language

Drawing on ten years of research on the unpublished Wittgenstein papers, Stern investigates what motivated Wittgenstein's philosophical writing and casts new light on the Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations. The book is an exposition of Wittgenstein's early conception of the nature of representation and how his later revision and criticism of that work led to a radically different way of looking at mind and language. It also explains how the unpublished manuscripts and typescripts were put together and why they often provide better evidence of the development of his ideas than can be found in his published writing. In doing so, the book traces the development of a number of central themes in Wittgenstein's philosophy, including his conception of philosophical method, the picture theory of meaning, the limits of language, the application of language to experience, his treatment of private language, and what he called the "flow of life." Arguing that Wittgenstein's views are often much more simple (and more radical) than we have been led to believe, Wittgenstein on Mind and Language provides an overview of the development of Wittgenstein's philosophy and brings to light aspects of his philosophy that have been almost universally neglected.

Review :
"A useful study....Clearly written and persuasively argued, this book is highly recommended."--Choice "An original and fascinating account of the way in which Wittgenstein worked and of the development of his ideas. David Stern's mastery of the unpublished writings has made it possible for him to identify hitherto neglected connections of thought."--David Pears, Oxford University "A revolution has been taking place in Wittgenstein studies in the last several years in that the significance of his notebooks and other previously unpublished primary materials for the understanding of his philosophy has slowly been realized and acted on. David Stern is keenly aware of this development, and his book is an important step in implementing it. As a consequence, no matter whether one ultimately agrees with his interpretations, one receives from his book a much more vivid picture of how Wittgenstein's philosophical mind worked than from virtually and other exposition of Wittgenstein's thought."--Jaakko Hintikka, Boston University "I know of no other work that better combines both philosophical and literary techniques to the analysis of Wittgenstein's writings."--Robert Fogelin, Dartmouth College "This book is a lucid and engaging account of Wittgenstein's thought....Stern's secrets are diligence, clarity, and impeccable scholarship. By sifting through Wittgenstein's endless circlings around his driving themes, by clearly charting Wittgenstein's slow growth from dogmatist to pluralist, by making sense of deeply enigmatic language, Stern gives you a book to make one of the most compelling and unique philosophers your own."--Randy Allen Harris, Globe and Mail "David Stern's book provides a clear and on the whole persuasive analysis of Wittgenstein's philosophical development....Should become standard reading for all Wittgenstein scholars."--Philosophical Investigations "What is distinctive about Stern's work is the combination of scholarly detail and philosophical acumen involved in the exposition he undertakes....This is an excellent book, which blends the biographical and philosophical aspects of Wittgenstein's work in admirable fashion."--Anthropological Linguistics