Dorit Lemberger

This paper examines Ludwig Wittgenstein’s engagement with the concept of the unconscious, both directly and indirectly, through a dialogue with Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic thought. Freud’s notion of the unconscious is analyzed across several contexts, with Wittgenstein’s philosophy serving as the primary framework of evaluation. The study’s originality lies in its conceptual investigation of how the idea of the unconscious can elucidate patterns of thought whose sources remain opaque and reveal the therapeutic potential that, in certain cases, accompanies its use. Such inquiry exposes tensions that Wittgenstein himself identified particularly those arising from the limits of language in describing mental states. Rejecting the treatment of concepts as explanatory foundations, Wittgenstein emphasized their practical use in ordinary language. His scattered references to the unconscious should therefore be read not as theoretical commitments but as part of his broader effort to dissolve philosophical confusion and psychological distress. His reference in the preface to Philosophical Investigations to “the darkness of this time” alludes not only to historical circumstances but also to the inner condition of human beings. The paper explores five contexts in which Wittgenstein’s engagement with the unconscious is especially revealing 1) psychoanalytic concepts in everyday language, 2) the unconscious as logically necessary, 3) language idling as symptomatic, 4) dream interpretation as persuasion, and 5) the joke and the unconscious as keys to intermediate links. These analyses reveal Wittgenstein’s philosophical method as both therapeutic and context-sensitive, bridging conceptual clarification and human experience.

This pioneering volume explores and exemplifies the relevance of psychoanalysis to contemporary philosophical problems. The novelty of the book's viewpoint is the consideration of psychoanalysis as an existentialist mode of thinking that deals with current existential problems such as loneliness, uncertainty, struggling with personal tragedies and rehabilitation. Each chapter presents classic aspects of psychoanalytic theory based on Greek tragedies, as well as their similarities with interdisciplinary aspects in other areas of study like modern literature, hermeneutics, and philosophy of language. To deepen each subject, each chapter also applies an interdisciplinary methodology that illuminate previously hidden insights arising from the fusion of psychoanalysis and philosophy. Featuring contributions from well-known scholars like Professor Avi Sagi and Professor Dov Schwartz, as well as more up-and-coming writers, the book suggests possible implications of philosophical, hermeneutical, and literary theories to the perception of post-modern issues concerning agency and the subjective emotional world. Psychoanalytic Investigations in Philosophy is of great interest to scholars of psychoanalysis and hermeneutic philosophy, as well as teachers and academics who want to explore new teaching methods in various disciplines, and general-interest readers who wish to expand their horizons around concepts that can be applied to better understand themselves and the age in which we live.