1467-9205/asset/PHIN_left.gif?v=1&s=ddd572d5051c29cfd1787f2758dc50bb5d67e5e2)
Wittgenstein on Simile as the “Best Thing” in Philosophy†
Article first published online: 13 JUL 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9205.2011.01444.x
© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Issue
Philosophical Investigations
Early View (Online Version of Record published before inclusion in an issue)
Additional Information
How to Cite
Erden, Y. J. (2011), Wittgenstein on Simile as the “Best Thing” in Philosophy. Philosophical Investigations. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9205.2011.01444.x
Publication History
- Article first published online: 13 JUL 2011
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Abstract
In a remark written sometime between 1933 and 1943, Wittgenstein suggests that philosophy ought really to be written as one “writes a poem.” Around this time he also talks of simile as the “best thing” in philosophy. In this paper I consider what it would mean to take such claims seriously. Through examining newly discovered material from the (unpublished) Skinner manuscripts (MSS), I offer an analysis of Wittgenstein's approach to literary techniques (broadly conceived) and see how this impacts on his conception of philosophy.