Abstract

The author of this book describes it as a “revised version of my thesis submitted … for the award of the PhD degree”. He says that its object is to “present a concise exposition of the later Wittgenstein’s philosophy of mind” as opposed to an “exhaustive account” of same. The book has a good index but no general bibliography. Owing to the difficulty of understanding Wittgenstein’s books, it is a good thing to have available short, clear expositions of his thought. So, Vohra’s book will be helpful to nonphilosophers as well as to students. The four chapters are on The Concept of Sensation, Privacy and Private Language, Self-Knowledge and Personal Identity, and Knowledge of Other Persons. The book is not a mere paraphrase of Wittgenstein’s words. It relates his ideas to those of other, both contemporary and classical, philosophers. It provides clear explanations of some key points and the topics are selected and arranged logically. The author very properly does not intend the book as competition for well-known critical studies such as those by Hacker or Kenny.