Wittgenstein and the Limits of Language

The limit of language is one of the most pervasive notions found in Wittgensteins work, both in his early Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and his later writings. Moreover, the idea of a limit of language is intimately related to important scholarly debates on Wittgensteins philosophy, such as the debate between the so-called traditional and resolute interpretations, Wittgensteins stance on transcendental idealism, and the philosophical import of Wittgensteins latest work On Certainty. This collection includes thirteen original essays that provide a comprehensive overview of the various ways in which Wittgenstein appeals to the limit of language at different stages of his philosophical development. The essays connect the idea of a limit of language to the most important themes discussed by Wittgensteinhis conception of logic and grammar, the method of philosophy, the nature of the subject, and the foundations of knowledgeas well as his views on ethics, aesthetics, and religion. The essays also relate Wittgensteins thought to his contemporaries, including Carnap, Frege, Heidegger, Levinas, and Moore.