Cognitive Science and Wittgenstein's Tractatus

Abstract

Wittgenstein's philosophical work contains much of interest for students of cognitive science. Attention so far has been largely limited to the later philosophy of the Philosophical Investigations, but a correct view must take into account the earlier work of the Tractatus and the evolution of Wittgenstein's ideas. Starting from David Pears' recent interpretation, this paper considers the implications of the Tractatus for the foundations of cognitive science. It is argued that Wittgenstein's early philosophy tackled many of the theoretical issues facing cognitive science and proposed imaginative solutions to the major problems. Taken with his later criticism of some of these solutions, Wittgenstein offers a far deeper and richer starting point for theory than is usually assumed in the current debate concerning the foundations of cognitive science.