Abstract

The paper tries to understand the relationship between the individual and the community where the individual belongs within Wittgenstein’s notion of the self. Wittgenstein denied the existence of the objective self, the self as an independent entity, to define human subjectivity throughout his writings. However, he has not given any positive idea about the self. The rejection of self can be seen as a denial of the autonomy of the individual, which can be understood as an individual is an aggregate of facts and a fabrication of society based on the rules and world-picture she inherits. Nevertheless, there is evidence in his writings and remarks that he accepted that the individual is free to choose and make decisions concerning religion and ethics, which he considered very important in life. This paper explores how these two seemingly contrary notions can exist together. It also examines the idea of autonomy and subjectivity advocated by the early and later Wittgenstein.