Wittgenstein on Heidegger and cosmic emotions
pp. 435-458
in: Anne Reboul (ed), Mind, values, and metaphysics I, Berlin, Springer, 2014Abstract
Wittgenstein commented briefly on Heidegger in a conversation in 1929 with Schlick and Waismann and in a dictation to the latter from the former in 1932. In this chapter, I set forth one minor historical argument against current, pragmatist readings that lump together Wittgenstein and Heidegger, an argument which involves reconstructing the context of Wittgenstein's remarks to see their intended point. I thus show that Wittgenstein's remarks were prompted by his having read Heidegger's inaugural lecture "What is metaphysics?' (1929), and only that text. I argue from this that Wittgenstein never saw himself engaged in the sort of metaphysical enterprise he was engaged into and briefly examine his claims in 1932 that Heidegger needs a therapy analogous to psychoanalysis, and that his speaking "whereof one should remain silent' amounts to a stylistic (hence moral) mistake.
