Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I From Idealism to Pure Realism
- Part II The Metaphysics of Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy
- Part III Causation and Science in a Phenomenal World
- Part IV Logical Possibilities and the Possibility of Knowledge
- Part V The Past, Memory, and The Private Language Argument
- 16 Memory, Tenses, and the Past
- 17 Wittgenstein's Analysis of Mental States and Powers
- 18 Following A Rule
- 19 The Private Language Argument
- 20 Names of Sensations and the Use Theory of Meaning
- Name Index
- Subject Index
17 - Wittgenstein's Analysis of Mental States and Powers
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I From Idealism to Pure Realism
- Part II The Metaphysics of Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy
- Part III Causation and Science in a Phenomenal World
- Part IV Logical Possibilities and the Possibility of Knowledge
- Part V The Past, Memory, and The Private Language Argument
- 16 Memory, Tenses, and the Past
- 17 Wittgenstein's Analysis of Mental States and Powers
- 18 Following A Rule
- 19 The Private Language Argument
- 20 Names of Sensations and the Use Theory of Meaning
- Name Index
- Subject Index
Summary
In this chapter we will be concerned with Wittgenstein's account of what were once called “the intellectual powers of man.” This phrase is now archaic but there is none better for designating the topic that needs discussion here. It refers to certain human abilities, capacities, and ‘know how.’ The reason for concerning ourselves with this is that Wittgenstein's philosophy of mind consists largely of denying that people have intellectual powers. (In this he is not singling out human beings for special treatment, for, like Hume, he denies powers to anything whatsoever.) The larger relevance of his denial of intellectual powers, as we will see in the next two chapters, is that it forced him to adopt a peculiar view of our linguistic capacities, a view that lies at the heart of his private language argument.
Historical Background
As we saw at the end of the preceding chapter, Wittgenstein was intent on dismissing the following idea: if one knows how to play chess or is able to recite a poem from memory, one is in a particular state (perhaps it is a state of one's brain), and when one plays a game of chess or recites a poem, this is a manifestation of that state. Because Wittgenstein's view of intellectual powers may seem wildly implausible to a modern reader, it is important to understand the historical context in which his view developed.
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- Wittgenstein's Metaphysics , pp. 269 - 285Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994