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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 121.6
EAN num: 9780061316869
ISBN number: 0061316865
Label: Harper Perennial
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 192
Printing Date: October 06, 1972
Publishing house: Harper Perennial
Release Date: September 06, 1972
Sale Popularity Level: 200337
Studio: Harper Perennial
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The volume is full of thought-provoking insight which will prove a stimulus both to further study and to scholarly disagreement.
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Rated by buyers 
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These late jottings express a range of philosophical innovations, any of which could prompt manic marginalia and the rattling insomnia of influence. I am also grateful that the editors have supplied parallel-page German passages. Reading time well spent, and a superb use of paper and ink.
Rated by buyers 
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Not much to add given the reviews already put up. I'd just suggest reading Hilary Putnam's RENEWING PHILOSOPHY and THE MANY FACES OF REALISM as a companion to this volume. I probably interpret Witt a little differently than most. I take this book to be an affirmation that ultimately all epistemology bottom's out in VALUES, in what we care about and what we think is important. Ultimately, "reasonableness" is a value judgment. Witt doesn't tell us to avoid always warring against the underlying values of another epistemic system, but does want us to be careful when we do so. An interesting and important read if for no other reason to understand more fully the work of men like William Alston, who emphasize the essentially social nature of all knowledge. Its one of Witt's easier books and I highly recommend it.
Rated by buyers 
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This work captures some of Wittgenstein's last thoughts. If you are a student of this philosopher's work this is a msut have, I believe. However, it depends on earlier concepts to be understood, especially those found in "Philosophical Investigations". It is a very small book, with almost no commentary besides the origins of the original manuscripts, that Wittgenstein never published. If you are interested in the base text, without any commentary, this is for you. The fact that the original German text is given besides the english translation is also nice, because Wittgenstein's thoughts can easilt be misunderstood if translated badly.
Rated by buyers -
On face value, On Certainty is a surprisingly accessible Wittgenstein text, exploring the notions of epistemology (theory of knowledge) and scepticism (idea that true knowledge can be sought but cannot be found) or "knowing" and "doubting", however, the work, on closer examination, cleverly argues these positions in the epistemological tradition from clearly different perspectives, thus On Certainty is more complex than it appears.
Written in the last eighteen months of Wittgenstein's life (the last entry days before his death) it is a response to Moore's articles, `Proof of the External World" and "Defence of Common Sense". According to the editors, Anscombe and von Wright, Wittgenstein told Moore that these were his best articles.
In entry 83, Wittgenstein writes:
"The truth of certain empirical propositions belongs to our frame of reference".
This is a foundationalist argument, proposing that our knowledge of the world and its truth, belongs to our particular frame of reference - context is everything, underlying all our assertions.
Another perspective that Wittgenstein proposes is the position of Relativism: in this view there are no foundations or absolutes, truth changes with the times, circumstances and social conditions. He writes,
65: "When language-games change, then there is a change in concepts, and with concepts the meaning of words change."
Interestingly, relativism is the perfect tool for the sceptic, because knowledge is depended on time and circumstances, and therefore can be sought, but never found.
Doubt itself is depended on certainty, as one must hold a premise in order to reject it.
115: "If you tried to doubt everything you would not get far as doubting anything. The game of doubting itself presupposes certainty."
In fact this, really, is the core premise of On Certainty that knowledge can only exist if doubt is possible. Doubt relies on content of what we know, our frame of reference that is inherent in all our assumptions regarding existence.
Reading On Certainty is a stimulus for thought, pushing us to analyse our assumptions about knowledge, that truth depends on our concept frameworks through which we view the world.
Recommended to all students of contemporary philosophy.
Rated by buyers -
"On Certainty" represents a much more honed work than the more common "Philosophical Investigations," though the depth of its insights are no less than than that work. OC is, by far, my favorite Wittgenstein book because it focuses so much on epistemological issues. Some examples include showing the error realists _and_ idealists are making (showing the fly the way out of the bottle), why there isn't necessarily a clear division between mathematical certainty and other kinds, and the failures of unchecked skepticism. He does this in a manner similar to the one used in "Philosophical Investigations": by an analysis of how we _normally_ know and doubt things.
The remarkable depth of this technique in highbrow philosophy is a breath of fresh air. Though I am currently investigating phenomenology, I always return to Wittgenstein (quite literally, by rereading passages of this or PI) to get my bearings when I suspect my ideas are getting a little too big for their britches. Wittgenstein sometimes thought philosophy should be therapeutic, and I must say that when I find myself in a muddle, his works or at least his methodology helps me find my way about.
As with his other works, though he spends some time knocking down familiar walls he does not leave you standing in the rubble but instead paves the way for new construction. I have read (not here) many references to Wittgenstein as some kind of postmodern deconstructionist, though even a little time spent trying to understand his points should be sufficient to demonstrate that he would not be satisfied until a problem was _resolved_, not just exposed. It is not enough, for example, to call the realism/idealism debate nonsense (for after all, he comments, to those involved in it the debate is not nonsense, so such a thing, while possibly satisfying, is not sufficient) and show the problem for what it is but instead to show them the way out of the problem they've walked in to.
Throughout the work, Moore's work on common sense is used as a platform from which to tackle a great many epistemological issues, so while it does stand in direct contrast to that work, it is not exactly a piece that has nothing else going for it but a criticism.
If you want some ready-made ideas to wrap your mind around, I get the impression from this book that Wittgenstein was heading towards a coherence theory of truth with a side of epistemological relativism, but please be aware that Wittgenstein did not intend to be a theory-builder as he largely felt the problems of philosophy were caused from conceptual mistakes regarding everyday phenomena and did not feel that the proper response to such problems would be "shoring up" a theory in response. This line of thought also lends itself to naturalisms. If that helps you understand what you'll be facing in "On Certainty," then it is worth it for an introduction.
If nothing else, "On Certainty" serves as an excellent response to general skepticism as much as it stands as a response to unabashed assertion. A short, terse, and wonderful read. If you enjoy philosophy, I have no doubt that you will enjoy this book. Please do not rest contented with companion works or other philosopher's assertions regarding the man (Kripke, Searle, etc); his works, while challenging, are not unapproachable in themselves-read them for yourself before you see them through someone else's eyes.
If you are more interested in problems of will, I would suggest Anscombe's "Intention." She uses a style unashamedly like that of Wittgenstein (she came up under Wittgenstein and was greatly influenced by him) in both methodology and writing in that work. Amazon, at the time of this post, carries it:
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