University of Virginia
Corcoran Department of Philosophy
PhD, 1995
Lexington, Virginia, United States of America
  •  381
    The subject of this paper is not Wittgensteinian ethics but Wittgenstein’s own ethical beliefs, specifically as these are revealed in the so-called Koder diaries. While the Koder Diaries, also known as Manuscript 183, do contain the kind of thing that one would expect to find in a diary (e.g. accounts of travel and personal relationships), they also contain more obviously philosophical remarks, sometimes as reflections on these personal remarks. Wittgenstein’s diaries illustrate well a point th…Read more
  •  92
    Wittgensteinian foundationalism
    Erkenntnis 55 (3). 2001.
    The idea that there is such a thing as Wittgensteinian foundationalism is a provocative one for two reasons. For one thing, Wittgenstein is widely regarded as an anti-foundationalist. For another, the very word `foundationalism' sounds like the name of a theory, and Wittgenstein famously opposed the advancing of theories and theses in philosophy. Nonetheless, in his book Moore and Wittgenstein on Certainty, Avrum Stroll has argued that Wittgenstein does indeed develop a foundationalist view in h…Read more
  •  60
    Missing the entire point: Wittgenstein and religion
    Religious Studies 37 (2): 161-175. 2001.
    In this paper I contrast some widespread ideas about what Wittgenstein said about religious belief with statements Wittgenstein made about his purposes and method in doing philosophy, in order to argue that he did not hold the views commonly attributed to him. These allegedly Wittgensteinian doctrines in fact essentialize religion in a very un-Wittgensteinian way. A truly Wittgensteinian philosophy of religion can only be a personal process, and there can be no part in it for generalized hypothe…Read more
  •  58
    Nothing to be Said: Wittgenstein and Wittgensteinian Ethics
    Southern Journal of Philosophy 34 (2): 243-256. 1996.
  •  56
    Is abortion vicious?
    Journal of Value Inquiry 32 (3): 381-392. 1998.
  •  41
    Whose Ethics? Which Wittgenstein?
    Philosophical Papers 31 (3): 323-342. 2002.
    The relevance of Wittgenstein for ethics depends on which Wittgenstein we mean. I argue that we should distinguish not only between Wittgenstein's personal opinions and his philosophy, but also, within his philosophical work, between broadly methodological remarks and what Wittgenstein might call genuinely philosophical remarks (which are not about philosophy but try to bring clarity to the mind bewitched by language). Wittgenstein's personal opinions will be considered irrelevant by most philos…Read more
  •  40
    Wittgenstein's ‘tractatus’: An introduction, by Alfred Nordmann (review)
    European Journal of Philosophy 16 (1). 2008.
  •  40
    Ethics and Private Language
    Philosophical Topics 38 (1): 181-203. 2010.
    There are intriguing hints in the works of Stanley Cavell and Stephen Mulhall of a possible connection between ethics and Wittgenstein’s remarks on private language, which are concerned with expressions of Empfindungen: feelings or sensations. The point of this paper is to make the case explicitly for seeing such a connection. What the point of that is I will address at the end of the paper. If Mulhall and Cavell both know their Wittgenstein and choose their words carefully, which I will take as…Read more
  •  30
    In a debate between tolerance and intolerance one is disinclined to side with intolerance. Nevertheless that, in a sense, is what I want to do in this paper. The particular debate I have in mind is the old one between H.L.A. Hart and Patrick Devlin about the legal enforcement of moral values. It should be noted, though, that the issue has by no means been settled in the minds of many people. The proposed repeal of the British law prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality (a law known as Section…Read more
  •  29
    Wittgenstein in Exile. By James C. Klagge (review)
    The European Legacy 17 (6): 848-849. 2012.
    No abstract
  •  27
    Wandering in Wittgenstein’s footsteps (review)
    The Philosophers' Magazine 56 (56): 106-107. 2012.
  •  25
    Virtue without theory
    Journal of Value Inquiry 33 (3): 353-369. 1999.
  •  23
    Winch on Understanding Other People
    Philosophical Investigations 41 (4): 399-417. 2018.
    This paper aims to identify the main points that Peter Winch makes, or reminders that he offers, about understanding ourselves and others. It would no doubt be possible to construct a theory out of these ideas, but I try to avoid giving the impression that Winch does so. Instead, the most Wittgensteinian approach to the subject is, as Winch does, to describe, remind and thereby clarify, without putting forward any kind of questionable hypothesis. Winch's work brings out the fact that understandi…Read more
  •  22
    Applying Wittgenstein – by Rupert read (review)
    Philosophical Investigations 32 (1): 91-95. 2008.
    No Abstract
  •  20
    Forum on Mutually Assured Destruction
    with Dylan Suzanne and Robert Martin
    Philosophy Now 37 7-9. 2002.
  •  19
    Book Review of Wittgenstein on Thought and Will by Roger Teichmann (review)
    Nordic Wittgenstein Review 6 (2): 96-98. 2017.
    Review of Teichmann, Roger, _Wittgenstein on Thought and Will_. New York/Oxford: Abingdon Books, Routledge 2015.
  •  19
    Philosophical Investigations, EarlyView.
  •  17
    Review of Tim labron, Wittgenstein and Theology (review)
    Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews 2009 (9). 2009.
  •  17
    Historical Dictionary of Wittgenstein's Philosophy
    Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 2004.
    This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Wittgenstein's Philosophy covers the history of this philosophy through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on every aspect of his work.
  •  15
    The A to Z of Wittgenstein's Philosophy is intended for anyone who wants to know more about the philosophy and the life of this enigmatic thinker. The book contains an introductory overview of his life and work, a timeline of the major relevant events in and after his life, an extensive bibliography, and, above all, an A-Z of ideas, people, and places that have been involved in his philosophy and its reception. The dictionary is written with no particular agenda and includes entries on philosoph…Read more
  •  15
    Why be good?: a historical introduction to ethics
    Oxford University Press. 2008.
    Plato -- Aristotle -- Christianity -- Aquinas -- Hobbes -- Hume -- Kant -- Mill -- Nietzsche -- Virtue after Nietzsche.
  •  14
    Philosophy and Poetry
    Essays in Philosophy 12 (2): 254-272. 2011.
    Philosophy certainly has connections with science but it is not itself a science. Nor is it literature. But it is related to literature in a way that excessive emphasis on science can obscure. In this paper I defend the rather old-fashioned view that philosophy is essentially linguistic. I also argue, less conventionally, that there is an unavoidable personal aspect to at least some philosophical problems, and in answering them we must speak for ourselves without being able to count on every oth…Read more
  •  12
    Ludwig Wittgenstein
    Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2004.
  •  12
    Volume 25, Issue 2, February - March 2020, Page 227-229.
  •  11
    Elizabeth Anscombe
    Philosophy Now 31 41-41. 2001.
  •  10
    General truths and the danger of relativism in contextual ethics
    Philosophical Investigations 46 (3): 352-375. 2023.
    This paper aims at explaining and defending some of Cora Diamond's thinking about the role of a kind of guides to thinking about ethics. Aids to thinking of this type can take a very general form but can also be applied in context‐sensitive ways. Maria Balaska has raised the question whether Diamond manages to avoid relativism. Oskari Kuusela also criticises Diamond, focussing on whether talk of human equality can be said to correspond to reality. I will consider these objections in turn and try…Read more
  •  9