The limit of language is one of the most pervasive notions found in Wittgenstein’s work, both in his early Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and his later writings. Moreover, the idea of a limit of language is intimately related to important scholarly debates on Wittgenstein’s philosophy, such as the debate between the so-called traditional and resolute interpretations, Wittgenstein’s stance on transcendental idealism, and the philosophical import of Wittgenstein’s latest work On Certainty.

This collection includes thirteen original essays that provide a comprehensive overview of the various ways in which Wittgenstein appeals to the limit of language at different stages of his philosophical development. The essays connect the idea of a limit of language to the most important themes discussed by Wittgenstein—his conception of logic and grammar, the method of philosophy, the nature of the subject, and the foundations of knowledge—as well as his views on ethics, aesthetics, and religion. The essays also relate Wittgenstein’s thought to his contemporaries, including Carnap, Frege, Heidegger, Levinas, and Moore.

"In sum, this is a varied and illuminating collection. It comes at an important idea from a number of angles, and helps show the value of the Kantian reading that inspires it." – Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

Hanne Appelqvist is Docent of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her work on Wittgenstein has been published in journals such as the British Journal of Aesthetics, the British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Metaphilosophy, and History of Philosophy Quarterly.