This paper argues that the later Wittgenstein's notion of the autonomy of grammar opens up critical space for thinking about world politics The claim that philosophy should be a ‘grammatical investigation’ involves considering how particular pictures, as representations of reality, hold us captive. Although the ‘deep disquietudes’ that are expressed in world politics may have similarities with the depth of a grammatical joke, I will look at a few reasons why we aren't laughing.
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