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The Status of Ethical Judgments in the
Philosophical Investigations
“Michael Hodges, Vandel University
‘There is in or at lest in and around Wingestein’ ler pilosophy
4 seme of what the good ife might be or atleast what philosophy
‘has to contribute to being lived. However, that topic i never
engl dscused, There are hints in Cala ud Vale and there
fe way of teading the Ieeigaton in light ofthe etic specs of
{he Trae which ae highly suggeive” My ov view i ha in
order filly to undestand Wiegenstein’s views here we must com=
bine an undersanding of what he has wo say abou plsophy with
ogaphical information, parca the advice that he gave to his
stacens. In te final analy, however, the arempt to constuct
Postive view wil avays involve specaltion and will ot rer in 3
definitive iterpretion, I ceraily does no follow tat such spec
thon i noe Bull if only because i see the Dmetigeon in 3
vere of new lights* However, ete, Iwill purve a diferent
couse by examining the sams of eis judgments in ight of
Wirgenstein's more general reflections on meaning and language
found in the later philosophy I believe tae while Wicgenstei pat
to rat cerain eadvonal problems that have seemed t plague oUt
cal thinking, be does not flow out some ofthe more radia
implications of his own thinking
‘A the very centre of Wingencin' ter work is # section of
the posblty of what lave ealed temcendence! We cannot
achieve what was the wkimate goal ofthe Traatus~ a view of the
‘Wodd and wid ic ourselves nd our practices aa imited whole — at
fhe tonay of Gee OF emine, the ltr Wingertin dace
‘mecly deny this posiblity since such a simple denial would seem
to invoke wha ic denies. Rather his writing diplaces transcendence
4 loi hi aaa win hook Es owt Ply
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in vay of ways chroughout the Phish! Ineigetins. Quite
often he does ths merely by cling atenson to the radical gap
benween the plulsopher’ quetion formulated in the light of the
pasibity of tanscendence andthe character of our acl practices.
‘Nothing tke the philoopher's concere are at sake in coming tO
tems with our practices, The philosophers ‘wick’ i to misdirect,
four atenion and wo make i appear that hiker concer i some
‘how conrnuoos with our everyday goings on.* Bu a Wingenstein
pins out inthe very secxon of the Inveiatn wih ear (0
{he philosophers notion of meaning, ‘No sich thing was in quet=
son her’ (Pl 1)
Trcannoc and will not here reheane the vaieny of ways in which
‘Wingenstem dplaces the hold ofthe pictre of tarscendence ia
the Phsophial Testis. Instead 1 wil invesigate what the
Implications of that dplacement ae for how we think about the
ial
‘These are ovo key pages tha deere special azention. One it
om the PhibephialImesigatons and the ote i om Cale nd
Value, A&P, 241 and 242 Wiegensein my,
"So you ae sying hat human agreement decides whats ve and
swt ee wat Boma bangs ay ht ura be
edhe seein the ngage they we That nt aemen in
‘pinion atin mo
langage io be 3 ean of communication there must be
sqeemr oot only in aedeons bor uy (ere hs toy
SSID jegnena Tha vento bah lope bt doe nor 3
rie one thing to. Scie rol of meaeemene, and
Moker t cba unf ste souks of menusenest Bat whit we
{mesg spy Seemioed by 1 era conan in
Sou ofmentrene ”
Hire Wingestein appear o be rejecting a rude form of reais
‘becrue fe flo ake account of two very dierent forms of gree-
‘ment ~ aieement in opinions and agreement inform of ie, But
‘hati the diference he ban ind?
Mie Hoes oy
“The second parsgaph gives us che answer. There we ae given 3