Wittgenstein and Pragmatism

On Certainty in the Light of Peirce and James

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This book investigates the conflicts concerning pragmatism inWittgenstein’s work On Certainty, through a comparison with thepragmatist tradition as expressed by its founding fathers Charles S. Peirceand William James. It also describes Wittgenstein’s first encounters withpragmatism in the 1930s and shows the relevance of Frank Ramsey in thedevelopment of his thought. Offering a balanced, critical and theoreticalexamination the author discusses issues such as doubt, certainty, commonsense, forms of life, action and the pragmatic maxim. While highlightingthe objective convergences and divergences between the two approaches,the volume makes links to ongoing debates on relativism, foundationalism,scepticism and objectivity. It will be of interest to anyone searching for newperspectives on Wittgenstein’s philosophy.