Saying and Showing and the Continuity of Wittgenstein’s Thought

Abstract

There is a positive aspect to Wittgenstein's philosophical achievement in the Tractatus that is lost on the Diamond/Conant reading. It relates to our recognition of the distinction between determination of sense and employment of sense and its connection with the distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge, or between what can be said and what shows itself in the use of language. These distinctions are fundamental to Wittgenstein's understanding of the nature of philosophical problems and to his conception of his philosophical method. They remain central to his thought and are at work throughout the alter philosophy.