Martin Kusch - Rule-Following: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide

RULE-FOLLOWING

OXFORD BIBLIOGRAPHIES ONLINE RESEARCH GUIDE

Martin Kusch

University of Vienna

2011 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

ISBN: 9780199809066

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OXFORD BIBLIOGRAPHIES ONLINE RESEARCH GUIDE

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OXFORD BIBLIOGRAPHIES ONLINE | Philosophy

Authority and Innovation for Scholarly Research Written by a leading international authority and bearing the Oxford University Press stamp of excellence, this article is a definitive guide to the most important resources on the topic. The article combines annotated citations, expert recommendations, and narrative pathways through the most important scholarly sources in both print and online formats. All materials recommended in this article were reviewed by the author, and the article has been organized in tiers ranging from general to highly specialized, saving valuable time by allowing researchers to easily narrow or broaden their focus among only the most trusted scholarly sources. This is just one of many articles within the subject area of Atlantic History, which is itself just one of the many subjects covered by Oxford Bibliographies Onlinea revolutionary resource designed to cut through academic information overload by guiding researchers to exactly the right book chapter, journal article, website, archive, or data set they need.

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INTRODUCTION

Rule-following is best thought of as a title for a number of closely intertwined philosophical questions: What is a rule? Can a rule compel or guide its user, and if so, how? What is it to be committed to following a rule? How can rules be learned? Is it possible to understand rule-following without referring to communities? Is to mean something by a word, and to have a concept, tantamount to being committed to following a rule? Precursors of these questions have always been asked by philosophers in some form or other. But it is primarily due to the work of Wittgenstein ( Philosophical Investigations ) that rule-following has come to be regarded as a distinct philosophical issue. This is reflected in the fact that much of the contemporary literature on rule-following is concerned with the interpretation of Wittgensteins writings. The literature on rule-following is immense and cuts across all areas of philosophy.

INTRODUCTORY WORKS

Two very helpful introductions to the Philosophical Investigations in general and the rule-following considerations in particular are McGinn 1997 and Stern 2004. An indispensable tool for every student of Wittgenstein is Glock 1996. The four-volume commentary on the Philosophical Investigations in Baker and Hacker 1985 and Hacker 1990 contains a wealth of information. It is a crucial resource even for readers who disagree with Baker and Hackers interpretation of Wittgenstein.

Baker, Gordon, and Peter Hacker. An Analytical Commentary on the Philosophical Investigations . Vol. 2, Wittgenstein: Rules, Grammar and Necessity . Oxford: Blackwell, 1985.

Indispensable commentary on Philosophical Investigations . Volume 1 was published in 1980. The second volume is particularly relevant for the rule-following considerations. See especially Accord with a Rule (pp. 81105) and Following Rules, Mastery of Techniques and Practices (pp. 154178).

Glock, Hans-Johann. A Wittgenstein Dictionary . Oxford: Blackwell, 1996.

An indispensable tool for finding ones way around Wittgensteins work. Useful entries on rule-following and private language.

Hacker, Peter. An Analytical Commentary on the Philosophical Investigations . Vol. 3, Wittgenstein: Meaning and Mind . Oxford: Blackwell, 1990.

Indispensable commentary on Philosophical Investigations . Volume 4 was published in 1996.

McGinn, Marie. Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Wittgenstein and the Philosophical Investigations . London: Routledge, 1997.

A very clear introduction to the Philosophical Investigations and particularly good in explaining the rule-following paragraphs.

Stern, David. Wittgensteins Philosophical Investigations: An Introduction . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

A clear introduction to the Philosophical Investigations , focusing in particular on the style of writing and the use of dialogues.

ANTHOLOGIES

Most anthologies on Wittgenstein contain several papers on the topic of rule-following. A classic collection of early responses to the Philosophical Investigations is Pitcher 1968. Of Canfields fifteen-volume anthology of important papers on Wittgenstein (up to the early 1980s), volumes 6, 9, 10, and 11 are relevant in the present context (Canfield 1986). Leich and Holtzman 1981 includes a number of influential papers by Evans, McDowell, and Wright, among others. Miller and Wright 2002 collects many important contributions to the debate over Kripkes interpretation of Wittgenstein on rules and private language (Kripke 1982).

Canfield, John V., ed. The Philosophy of Wittgenstein . 15 vols. New York: Garland, 1986.

An anthology of important papers on all aspects of Wittgensteins philosophy. Volumes 6, 9, 10, and 11 address meaning, the private-language argument, logical necessity, rules, and the philosophy of mathematics.

Kripke, Saul. Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language: An Elementary Exposition . Oxford: Blackwell, 1982.

This is Kripkes highly influential yet controversial interpretation of Wittgensteins rule-following considerations.

Leich, Christopher, and Steven H. Holtzman, eds. Wittgenstein: To Follow a Rule . London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981.

An important and influential anthology reflecting debates over rule-following in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s. It contains important papers by Evans, McDowell, and Wright.

Miller, Alexander, and Crispin Wright, eds. Rule-Following and Meaning . Chesham, UK: Acumen, 2002.

This anthology collects many important papers on Kripkes interpretation of Wittgenstein on rules.

Pitcher, George, ed. Wittgenstein: The Philosophical Investigations . London: Macmillan, 1968.

An anthology of important early papers on the Investigations .

WITTGENSTEINS CONCEPT OF RULE-FOLLOWING