Wittgenstein finished part 1 of the Philosophical Investigations in the spring of 1945. From 1946 to 1949 he worked on the philosophy of psychology almost without interruption. The present two-volume work comprises many of his writings over this period. Some of the remarks contained here were culled for part 2 of the Investigations; others were set aside and appear in the collection known as Zettel. The great majority, however, although of excellent quality, have hitherto remained unpublished. This bilingual edition of the Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology presents the first English translation of an essential body of Wittgenstein's work. It elaborates Wittgenstein's views on psychological concepts such as expectation, sensation, knowing how to follow a rule, and knowledge of the sensations of other persons. It also shows strong emphasis on the "anthropological" aspect of Wittgenstein's thought. Philosophers, as well as anthropologists, psychologists, and sociologists will welcome this important publication.

Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology, Vol. II (English and German Edition)

Politics & Social Sciences

Ludwig. Wittgenstein

G.H. Von Wright

Heikki Nyman

C. G. Luckhardt

Philosophy

University of Chicago Press

This volume distinguishes between two main traditions in the philosophy of science - the aristotelian, with its stress on explanation in terms of purpose and intentionality, and the galilean, which takes causal explanation as primary. It then traces the complex history of these competing traditions as they are manifested in such movements as positivism, idealism, Marxism and contemporary linguistic analysis. Hempels's theory of scientific explanation, the claims of cybernetics the rise of an analytic philosophy of action and the revival of hermenuetics are all discussed. The volume also deals with causal explanation, intentionality and teleological explanation, and explanation in history and the social sciences. The author concludes that explanation of human actions cannot be reduced to simple causality, and discusses the implications of this conclusion for the disciplines of history and sociology.

Explanation and understanding (International library of philosophy and scientific method)

Kegan Paul International

"Explanation and Understanding, perhaps von Wright's best-known book, showed the influence of Wittgenstein, but marked a clean break with the positivism of his youth. He suggested that human action could not be explained causally by scientific or 'natural' laws, but had to be understood 'intentionally'―a concept connected with wants and beliefs developed in a social and cultural context."―Daily Telegraph
"This is a very good book packed with much original material; it also contains illuminating reinterpretations of some familiar theories and arguments. The range of topics treated includes causation, action, verification of gnomic statements, practical inference and its use in the explanation of action, and the structure of explanation in history."―Philosophical Review

Explanation and Understanding (Contemporary Philosophy Series,)

Arts & Photography

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Cornell University Press

Explanation and Understanding (Cornell Classics in Philosophy)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by G.H. Von Wright. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by G.H. Von Wright