upvote
"Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language."

If you view the story of Wittgenstein and Rorty as primarily one of leaving academia, I believe you are telling on yourself.

reply
> "Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language."

I'm not sure why you're quoting the quote that I just quoted. I was hoping for an analysis.

> If you view the story of Wittgenstein and Rorty as primarily one of leaving academia, I believe you are telling on yourself.

I said that they left academic philosophy. Rorty didn't leave academia entirely. But yes, I left academic philosophy too, so in a sense I am telling on myself, though I don't accept the negative connotation.

reply
I think the quote doesn't say what you think it says. Wittgenstein loved philosophy, and it's frustrating when people cherry pick his work to try and dunk on the entire field.

And if you accept that you are telling on yourself, then don't you think it's awfully convenient that your perspective on philosophy as a discipline is a little skewed by personal hangups?

reply
> I think the quote doesn't say what you think it says.

You still haven't said what you think it means!

> Wittgenstein loved philosophy

I think the phrase "loved philosophy" is way too vague to be informative.

> when people cherry pick his work

I picked some quotes for a Hacker News comment, necessarily brief. I also provided a link to the entire Philosophical Investigations, which I've course I've read more than once.

> dunk on the entire field.

The field of academic philosophy has a tendency to dunk on Wittgenstein. His previously biggest personal booster Bertrand Russell certainly did: "I have not found in Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations anything that seemed to me interesting and I do not understand why a whole school finds important wisdom in its pages." Many analytic philosophers feel the same way, ironically finding the Tractatus, which Wittgenstein repudiated, more to their liking.

They're probably correct to feel threatened. My own view, as I've stated, is that Wittgenstein's later work is a broad-based critique of philosophy, not aimed only at logical positivism, for example.

> skewed by personal hangups

What personal hangups do you mean?

I said that I left academic philosophy. After many years. I didn't say why. Do you think Wittgenstein and Rorty left academic philosophy due to personal hangups?

reply