Wittgenstein

the long version

The idea of the Inner is central to our concept of a person and so lies at the heart of all our interaction. But how should this concept be understood? What do we mean when we wonder what is going on inside our heads? Clearly the inner world is not literally inside us, but if not, where is it? Although the idea of the Inner is central to our comprehension of ourselves, what does it actually mean? Using Wittgenstein's recently published writings on the philosophy of psychology, together with unpublished material, Paul Johnston present a thorough account of a subject central to Wittgenstein's later work. He shows that Wittgenstein's arguments involve a radical rethinking of our understanding of the Inner and present a challenge to contemporary views which has yet to be fully appreciated or understood. Written in a non-technical and readable style, this book shows how a Wittgensteinian approach can dissolve age-old problems about the nature of consciousness and the relation between the mind, the body and the soul. The resultant picture of the Inner, with its stress on the special role of language, throws new light on the direction of Wittgenstein's work and presents a stimulating and controversial alternative to more fashionable positions on the subject.