Wittgenstein, Ludwig, Philosophical Investigations, (New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1968).

Generally regarded as Wittgenstein's masterpiece, although it was not published in his lifetime. The most significant thing to say about PI vis-a-vis Kripke's book is that Wittgenstein's rule following considerations (roughly, sections 143-242 of PI) speak only once of a fact, at 192, where Wittgenstein says:

You have no model of this superlative fact, but you are seduced into using a super-expression. (It might be called a philosophical superlative.)

This fact alone ought to give pause to those sympathetic to Kripke's book. To be fair, however, it should be noted that there is a passage in PI that suggests something similar to that to be found in Kripke's account. Unfortunately for Kripke, it occurs well after the rule following considerations, at PI §557. But even if it did not, i.e., even if §557 occurred smack dab in Wittgenstein's rule-following considerations, it would not be close to being enough to warrant Kripke's reading, however one interprets the passage.

Critical Reviews of Philosophical Investigations

  • Feyerabend, Paul, Philosophical Review, Vol. LXIV (1955), pp. 449-483.
  • Malcolm, Norman, Philosophical Review, Vol. LXIII (1954), pp. 530-559.
  • Strawson, P.F., Mind, Vol. LXIII, (1954), pp. 70-99.


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..³, Professor
Dept. of Philosophy