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Wittgenstein, Plato, and the Historical Socrates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2007

M.W. Rowe
Affiliation:
University of York

Abstract

This essay examines the profound affinities between Wittgenstein and the historical Socrates. The first five sections argue that similarities between their personalities and circumstances can explain a comparable pattern of philosophical development. The next nine show that many apparently chance similarities between the two men's lives and receptions can be explained by their shared conceptions ofphilosophical method. The last three sections consider the difficulty of practising this method through writing, and examine the solutions which Plato and Wittgenstein adopted.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2007 The Royal Institute of Philosophy

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