On the Unintelligibility of Wittgenstein's Tractatus

“Resolute” readings of Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico‐Philosophicus maintain that the book is divided into two parts: an intelligible “frame” and an unintelligible “body.” This article questions the validity of the “frame/body distinction” and, by extension, the resolute reading itself. It first establishes the tenability of the resolute programme as entirely dependent upon such a frame/body distinction. It then explores three possible ways the claim that the Tractatus contains such a distinction might be grounded, arguing in each case why it cannot do so. It therefore concludes that the frame/body distinction is unjustified, and the resolute reading untenable.     

Instructions for Climbing the Ladder (The Minimalism of Wittgenstein's Tractatus)

I aim to present a solution to the apparent paradox of the Tractatus by means of a minimalist reading grounded in the idea that the correct logical symbolism alone “finally solves” in essentials the philosophical problems. I argue that although the sentences of the Tractatus are nonsensical, rules presented in its symbolism are not. The symbolism itself expresses only a priori rules of logic through schematic variables that do not say anything. I argue that this reading correctly expresses the ladder structure of the book, and that it can account for Wittgenstein's critique of the Tractatus in Some Remarks on Logical Form.     

Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CEQ): Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the German Translation

A central component of Beck et al.’s (1979) cognitive theory of depression is faulty information processing reflected by so-called cognitive errors. These cognitive errors are the reason why depressed individuals systematically misinterpret the significance of events in a negative way. They are usually assessed with the application of the Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CEQ). This study examines the psychometric properties and factor structure of the German version of the CEQ in a sample of 796 volunteers at a German university. Results confirmed that the German CEQ has satisfactory to very good psychometric properties, like the American original. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that a hierarchical four-factor model with four subscales and 1 s order factor fits the data best. Therefore, besides using the German CEQ in studies with German-speaking samples, the similarities in psychometric properties of the American and German CEQ allow for cross-cultural studies.     

On Speaking Thus: the Semantics of Indirect Discourse

Indexical predication is possible as well as the more familiar indexical reference. 'My curtains are coloured thus' describes my curtains. The indexical predicate expression it contains ('coloured thus') stands to possible non-indexical replacements ('red') as a referring indexical ('he') does to possible non-indexical replacements ('Tom'), in that it calls upon the context of utterance to fix its semantic contribution to the whole. Indexical predication is the natural resource to call upon in talk about skilful human performances, where we exhibit considerable know-how but little explicit know-that. Speech is among such performances. Both direct and indirect speech reports may be illuminated by seeing them in the light of this thought. A corollary of the approach is that the prospects of providing a formal semantic treatment of indirect speech do not look good.     

A Late Antique Rabbinic Discourse on the Linguistic (In-)determinacy of the Law

Topoi - The late antique rabbis of Roman Palestine were seasoned jurists, experts on exegesis and legal interpretation. Yet rabbinic literature does not theorize. A positive account of rabbinic...     

Illusions of Sense in the Tractatus: Wittgenstein and Imaginative Understanding

Certain expositors of the Tractatus have tried to make sense of Wittegnstein's curious revocation of its propositions by suggesting that although they lack content, they nonetheless express ("show," but do not say) some ineffable truths about reality. Such a view Cora Dimaond labels "chickening out." I attempt to diagnose the lingering attraction of the 'chicken' (in this case an attraction to an illusion of sense) by condsidering a (false) parallel with the case of perceptual illusion. To this end, I make a brief excursion into the work of Gareth Evans in order to draw out what the parallel would look like and more specifically how the chicken might be tempted to think that there is indeed such a parallel. In this way, I hope to better 'understand' the chicken and her seduction, and in the process make a plea for not "chickening out." I then turn to a positive consideration of how we should in fact read this work. In particular, I consider Diamond's idea that the Tractatus requires an "imaginative understanding" of its reader, an ability to 'think' oneself into certain philosophical illusions of sense in order to dismantle them from within. I explore exactly what such an imagination involves. In particular, I suggest that it presupposes a kind of 'metaphysical' thesis of its own about the nature of human beings and their innermost tendencies, a position, I argue, that Wittegnstein held.     

Propositions,Properties and Relations: Wittgenstein's “Notes on Logic” and the Tractatus

Frege famously argued that truth is not a property or relation. In the “Notes on Logic” Wittgenstein emphasised the bi‐polarity of propositions which he called their sense. He argued that “propositions by virtue of sense cannot have predicates or relations.” This led to his fundamental thought that the logical constants do not represent predicates or relations. The idea, however, has wider ramifications than that. It is not just that propositions cannot have relations to other propositions but also that they cannot have relations to anything at all. The paper explores the consequences of this insight for the way in which we should read the Tractatus. In the “Notes on Logic” the insight led to Wittgenstein's emphasis on “facts” in any attempt to understand the nature of symbolism. This emphasis is continued in the Tractatus. It is central to his view that propositions are facts which picture facts which prevent us from construing such picturing as a relation between what pictures and what is pictured. It illuminates the importance of context principle with regard to the distinction between showing and saying to which Wittgenstein attached so much importance and it underlies the non‐relational view of psychological propositions which he advocates. Finally, if propositions by virtue of sense cannot have predicates or relations the paradox at the end of a work which consist largely of propositions about propositions becomes intelligible.     

Wethinks the author doth protest too much: a reply to Esterson (2002)

A Esterson (2002) responded to the authors' analysis of recent reformulations of Freud's seduction theory and alleged sexual abuse discoveries. Esterson gave several additional examples of the same type of problematic writing the authors discussed in their original article. His commentary is largely a repetition of several already-published arguments, and his numerous criticisms of the article are, in the authors' opinion, without merit. The authors address confusion over inferring abuse from symptoms, treatment of symptoms versus resolution of cases, and fathers as perpetrators of abuse. It is clear that, as long as the topic of child sexual abuse elicits heated debate, so will Freud's seduction theory, but there may be times when one needs to step back to allow a debate to move forward.     

Assessing the Dimensionality and Other Psychometric Properties of a Greek Translation of the Sex-role Egalitarianism Scale (Form B)

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the dimensionality of a Greek-language version of the Sex Role Egalitarianism Scale—Form B (SRES-B) via confirmatory factor analysis. Using two different samples (undergraduates and community sample from Greece) data from 667 individuals were collected. Three models were specified: the five-factor model (marital, parental, social–interpersonal–heterosexual, employment, and educational roles); the two-factor model (Intimate and Formal); and the single-factor model (Global factor). The findings indicated that the two-factor model had the best fit. The corresponding alpha coefficients were .94 and .92 respectively, with .96 for the total scale. Results also showed that women, young individuals, well educated persons, and people residing in cities were more egalitarian. No differences between the two samples were found.     

On the Methodology of the Race Debate: Conceptual Analysis and Racial Discourse

The traditional debate about whether race should be eliminated from public discourse is often conducted in significant part by examining whether race is real. Whether race is real, in turn, often comes down to whether racial discourse purports to refer to social or natural kinds, which means that analysis of racial concepts is crucial to the question of racial eliminativism. The dominate theory of conceptual analysis in the race debate is that racial concepts should be analyzed according to how those terms have been used by historical experts. It is argued here that this dominant theory is misguided, and that we should therefore analyze racial concepts according to how they are used in contemporary, folk discourse. In addition, and in contrast to the main rival to the dominant theory, I argue that we should analyze folk racial discourse not from the armchair, but instead through empirical research.     

北宋两刘牧再考

本文在笔者以前考证的基础上,又以读书所得新证据对北宋两刘牧的问题进行了不同角度的考证。并以考证结果为根据,对诸多已成“事实”进行了商榷,指出：三衢刘牧无任何易学著作存世;朱震等有关“河洛”图书的传承代次,全是瞎说,不可再引以为据;“河洛”图书内容出于彭城刘牧著一卷本《易数钩隐图》之后,很可能是其弟子窜人;范谔昌的“象学”并不讲“河洛”图书,以此溯及陈抟之“象学”亦非“河洛”内容;范氏晚于彭城刘牧,并非其师等。最后指出：彭城刘牧讲太极大道,理应在“宋明理学”的研究领域中占有一席之地。     

Preaching as a Communicative Event: A Discourse Analysis of Sermons by Robert Rollock (1555-1599)

Abstract

In 1999, Mary Morrissey called for interdisciplinary collaboration in research into early modern sermons, based on a common interest in sermons as discourse. Interdisciplinarity, however, can develop only on the basis of a systematic analysis of sermons as communicative events. All discourse is situationally embedded; analysis seeks to establish how the linguistic makeup of a sermon is related to the preacher's objective of communicating in a way that was situated, appropriate, and meaningful to the hearers. It thus helps to explicate the relationship between the sermon as text and its social, historical, literary, and theological settings. This article presents a methodology for such analysis, using a simple framework that embodies both language and communication. Sermons by the Scottish theologian, Robert Rollock, form the corpus of the analysis. It identifies clear patterning of linguistic forms and communicative acts, which are then examined in the light of the preacher's theological, hermeneutical, and pastoral concerns.     

哲学的第一任务：对发生的重新激活

如果“对我们所处的这个危机处境的起源,有一种目的论的历史意识”,而这种意识又构成了“先验现象学的一个独立导言”①,换言之,如果它能用来引导(我们)返回先验主体性;那么对哲学观念的阐明,也许就能使我们最终涉及理论态度的实存的构成。