Philosophical Investigations 2: Wittgenstein's Remarks on a Complete Language

Abstract

In this paper I shall primarily try to give an extensive interpretation of some remarks from the beginning of the PI which gave rise to several objections. Some of them were pointed out several decades ago, others are more current.1 In my eyes some of the objections express uncertainty about content and role of the remarks in question, whereas others express a philosophical position which is different from Wittgenstein's. Whereas the first group can be answered by giving a consistent interpretation, the second needs another kind of answer. I will try to give one in form of a critique of a critique, based on Wittgenstein's philosophy. My main subject will be two essays of Audun Øfsti. I will start with the interpretation (section I); hereafter the critique will be reconstructed (section II). In the last section (III) an answer, consisting mainly of a diagnosis concerning the reasons for the critique, will be given.