The phenomenological Wittgenstein: A philosophical interlude

i It is widely acknowledged that Wittgenstein's work is punctuated by a radical shift dividing it into an early and late period. Nevertheless, while from a doctrinal point of view this would seem to be undeniable, the possibility remains that Wittgenstein's work reveals the continuity of the development of a certain problematic. This could be true whether or not the full problematic itself ever explicitly crystallized in Wittgenstein's own mind. If one could uncover such a strain---whether it is a motif or only a question---it would clearly be of the greatest importance for taking the measure of Wittgenstein's philosophy. Yet despite a rather long historical awareness of the issue, research has been limited, and can be characterized as still being in its infancy.; The very possibility of any continuity at all remains a point of bitter contention. This is undoubtedly due in large part to the factionalization of Wittgenstein research. Champions of the later have little inclination to engage champions of the earlier thought. This goes beyond merely doctrinal disputes. The style of philosophizing and the sense of the very meaning of the enterprise, diverge so much between the competing camps that little fruitful dialogue seems possible. From the standpoint of sound historical scholarship, however, this situation is intolerable. It is time that the question of the meaning of the whole of Wittgenstein's philosophical trajectory should be seriously examined. That is what I propose to undertake here.; In addition to the question of continuity, this project also involves a substantive issue. I contend that the "shifts" in Wittgenstein's thought directly reflect his evolving conception of experience. As his understanding of experience shifts, so too its relationship to language. Language is eventually broadened to include the whole of human activity. The sudden jumps represent both a "shift of emphasis" concerning what the primary theme of philosophical investigation should be as well as the proper method for approaching the subject of investigation. The shifts stem primarily from an increasingly refined understanding of the relationship between language and experience.