Deutsche Gesellschaft
für phänomenologische Forschung

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225208

The limits of justification

Reza Hosseini

pp. 24-46

Abstrakt

The Tractatus is about the limits of theory; it is about paying attention to what we say and write about problems of philosophy and "the ultimate meaning of life". It also recognises that there is a "tendency" in us to talk about these matters. This tendency, by the criteria of the book, is epistemically futile, but it existentially shows something about the human condition. It is not a trivial tendency. It has an effect on one's life; it makes you 'step forth as an individual and speak in the first person" about value and the meaning of life (Wittgenstein 1979b: 117). From this vantage point, and in this chapter, I want to address two major approaches towards the meaning of life in the literature — that is, supernaturalism and naturalism. This will provide an insight into what I think has often been neglected in the literature, which is the limits of theorisation. However, my aim is not only a comparative study, but also to provide new ways of looking at familiar themes, particularly with regard to religion and meaning as well as attitude and meaning.

Publication details

Published in:

Hosseini Reza (2015) Wittgenstein and meaning in life: in search of the human voice. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Seiten: 24-46

DOI: 10.1057/9781137440914_3

Referenz:

Hosseini Reza (2015) The limits of justification, In: Wittgenstein and meaning in life, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 24–46.