Words and deeds: Language, ethics and practice in the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein

I argue that changes in Wittgenstein's view of language between his early and later works should be considered in relation to ethical and political theory. While the early works argue that any genuine norm would have to be metaphysically necessary, the later works contend that our commitment to norms depends upon certain contingencies of nature and history. This contingency seems to threaten our ability to remain committed to norms of any kind. However, just as the contingency of our linguistic practices does not threaten our ability to use language meaningfully, likewise, contingency in the sphere of ethics or politics does not lead to a naive "anything-goes" relativism. Our practices are socially, biologically, and historically conditioned, and this places limits on what we can take to be a genuine norm.