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Wittgenstein and Skepticism

Expected online publication date:  23 June 2026

Andrea Kern
Affiliation:
University of Leipzig

Summary

This Element is about Wittgenstein's engagement with skepticism. Two forms of skepticism will be at the center of this Element: skepticism concerning our knowledge of the 'external world,' and skepticism concerning our knowledge of 'other minds.' It will be shown that Wittgenstein is neither a skeptic nor an anti-skeptic. Rather, Wittgenstein thinks of the skeptic's doubt as a form of denial: a denial of knowledge that one cannot but have. The aim of this Element is to bring out what it means to think of the skeptic's doubt in a Wittgensteinian way, that is, as a doubt that manifests a denial of knowledge that one cannot but have, rather than a philosophical position about the possibility of knowledge that is either true or false and hence an object either of justification or refutation. Wittgenstein's relation to skepticism is therefore unique and highly original.

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Type
Element
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Online ISBN: 9781009592567
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

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Wittgenstein and Skepticism
  • Andrea Kern, University of Leipzig
  • Online ISBN: 9781009592567
Available formats No formats are currently available for this content.
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Wittgenstein and Skepticism
  • Andrea Kern, University of Leipzig
  • Online ISBN: 9781009592567
Available formats No formats are currently available for this content.
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Save element to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Wittgenstein and Skepticism
  • Andrea Kern, University of Leipzig
  • Online ISBN: 9781009592567
Available formats No formats are currently available for this content.
×