O que Wittgenstein entendeu na filosofia da psicologia

Introdution (Budd)

What did Wittgenstein understand by the philosophy of psychology? A skeleton answer would be this: then aim of the philosophy of psychology is the construction of perspicuous representations of everyday psychological conceptsç this aim is achieved by the delineation of the Grammar of psychological words; the importance of the philosophy of psychology derives from its underlying purpose, which is the dissolution of philosophical problems about the nature of the mindç these problems can be treated successfully only by attaining a synoptic view of the ordinary language of psychology; the philosophy of psychology is purely descriptive and in no way explanatory. But this answer must be fleshed out IF it is to be illuminating.

We must begin from Wittgenstein's conception of the nature of philosophy. For he had a distinctive vision of philosophy that determined both the way he worked in any área of philosophy and what be tried to achieve. The foudation of his thought is that philosophical investigations ar conceptual investigations (1). Accordingly, his researches in the philosophy of psychology are researche into psychological concepts. But since there are very different kinds of investigation into concepts, the characterization of Wittgenstein’s philosophy of psychology as na investigation of psychological concepts is informative only in the light of clear understanding of the kind of conceptual investigation he engaged in. Now Wittgenstein insisted that it would be misleading to describe such na investigation as a search for na analysis in the concept that He wished to bring to light and that the Discovery of this would be a new piece of information. On the contrary, He believe that everything of philosophical interest lies open to view and He regarded all the relevant facts about the concept as being already know. So there is nothing for which na explanation is being sought (2).

But IF this is so, what sort of enterprise is a conceptual investigation of the kind Wittgenstein practised? Na initial answer is that it is na attempt to describe the use of words in which the concept under examination is manifested. It is therefore na investigation of what Wittgenstein referred to as the ‘grammar’ of words:

Grammar describes the use of words in the language (3).

Grammar does not tell us how language must be constructed in order to fulfil its purpose, in order to have such-and-such na effect of human beings. It only describes and in no way explains the use of signs (4).

The importance of the Idea of Grammar in Wittgenstein’s thought is clearly revealed when seen against the background of the attitude to language that He adopted in his philosophical work. To put the matter briefly: He rejeited the Idea that the meanings of words should be explained by reference to psychological causes and effects of the use of words; he renounced any interest in na explanation of the operation of language as a psychological mechanism (5); He recomended his conception of the meaning of a Word as its use in the language; and He restricted his philosophical examination of language to a description of its Grammar.

It follow from his account of a conceptual investigation that Wittgenstein’s philosophy of psychology is an investigation of psychological concepts (everyday psychological concepts) (6) restricted to the