Wittgenstein and the Social Sciences: Action, Ideology and Justice

by Robert Vinten

Overview

Vinten looks at the relationship between Wittgenstein’s philosophy and the social sciences as well as at the ideological implications of Wittgenstein’s philosophy and applications of Wittgenstein’s philosophy to problems in social science. He examines and assesses the work of thinkers like Richard Rorty, Perry Anderson, and Chantal Mouffe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785273131
Publisher:	Anthem Press
Publication date:	07/27/2020
Series:	Anthem Studies in Wittgenstein
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	236
File size:	495 KB

About the Author

Robert Vinten is currently a postdoctoral research fellow in Lisbon, Portugal, working on a project concerned with Wittgenstein and religious epistemology. He studied history and philosophy in Glasgow, going on to obtain a doctorate at Universidade Nova in Lisbon in Wittgensteinian philosophy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Introduction; Part 1 The Nature of Philosophy and of Social Science; 1. Is There Such a Thing as a Social Science?; 2. Wittgenstein and Relativism; Part 2 Does Wittgenstein’s Work Have Ideological Implications?; 3. Was Wittgenstein a Conservative Philosopher?; 4. Was Wittgenstein a Liberal Philosopher?; 5. Leave Everything as It Is; 6. Eagleton’s Wittgenstein; Part 3 Applying Wittgenstein’s Work to Problems in Social Philosophy; 7. Wittgenstein and Freedom of the Will; 8. Wittgenstein and Justice; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

Your Harlow — Staff Article

“Robert Vinten has produced an impressively meticulous and wide-ranging discussion of how Wittgenstein’s mature philosophy can revitalize the social sciences. There is insight and scholarship on every page. This important book will open up new possibilities for both philosophers and social scientists.” —Leonidas Tsilipakos, Lecturer, University of Bristol, UK

“Vinten’s book will be an invaluable tool for anyone interested in the social relevance of Wittgenstein’s later thought.” —Nuno Venturinha, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Nova University of Lisbon, Portugal


"Robert Vinten's Wittgenstein and the Social Sciences (2020) is one of a small handful of books that have tried to take seriously the idea that Wittgenstein's philosophy is relevant to the task of understanding the social world, and perhaps relevant to the social sciences...Vinten's approach is distinctive and substantial, and he discusses a literature that did not exist at the time of Winch's or Pitkin's writing" — Daniel Little (University of Michigan, Dearborn)
 
Link here: https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/little_ct_vol11_iss_3_4.pdf 

"Robert Vinten's book Wittgenstein and the Social Sciences - Action, Ideology, and Justice is another symptom of Wittgenstein's ongoing impact on philosophical practice. It join's a literature dedicated to expanding that impact into areas to which Wittgenstein himself paid less attention (say, the philosophy of art, of the social sciences, of education, etc.) or into traditions in which that impact was less felt (say, phenomenology, hermeneutics, psychoanalysis, etc.). It will surely prove to be a useful and valuable addition to this literature)" —Rafael Lopes Azize (Federal University of Bahia)

Link here: https://cosmosandtaxis.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/lopesazize_ct_vol11_iss_3_4.pdf

From the Publisher