The False Prison: A Study of the Development of Wittgenstein's PhilosophyVolume 1

This is the first of two volumes describing the development of Wittgenstein's philosophy from the Notebooks and the Tractatus to Philosophical Investigations and his other later writings. Volume I is divided into two parts: Part I surveys the whole of Wittgenstein's work, while Part II examines in detail the central ideas of his early system. Although Pears focuses on the internal organization of Wittgenstein's thought, he also investigates the origins of Wittgenstein's philosophy, relating it to the philosophies of his predecessors and contemporaries. Revealing how the details of Wittgenstein's work fit into its general pattern, Pears offers scholars, students, and non-specialists alike unusually clear insight into the philosopher's thought.