Philosophical Investigations 244:"Physiognomic language-games"?

Abstract

In chapter 10, "Wittgenstein on Private Experience" [pp. 241ff.], of their book Investigating Wittgenstein Merrill and Jaakko Hintikka try to elaborate a view according to which the late Wittgenstein adopts a Cartesian point of view with respect to metaphysics. The remarks on "physiognomic language-games", which are also in some respect a topic of chapter 11, "Differences and Interrelations among Language-games in Wittgenstein" [pp. 272f.], play an important constructive part in the argumentation in favour of this thesis. In this paper I shall discuss these remarks on "physiognomic language-games" and attempt both an internal (I) and an external critique (II).