Wittgenstein

The Senses of Use

Sandra Laugier author Daniela Ginsburg translator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:The University of Chicago Press

Publishing:17th Oct '25

£36.00

This title is due to be published on 17th October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

Wittgenstein cover

A holistic introduction to Wittgenstein’s philosophy that approaches him as a philosopher of ordinary life.

One of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s most consequential claims was that the meaning of the word, its sense, is its use in language. This deceptively simple claim, the foundation of what became known as ordinary language philosophy, has animated thinkers across disciplinary bounds from metaphysics to ethics and more. In The Senses of Use, Sandra Laugier embarks on a fresh journey through Wittgenstein’s corpus that emphasizes the place of ordinary life and language in its thought. Through his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Philosophical Investigations, and rich posthumously published works, Laugier offers a compelling new look at Wittgenstein as a philosopher of mind.

“In this elegant and thoughtfully composed book, Laugier provides a route to the philosophy of Wittgenstein that should be valuable for new and veteran readers alike. Laugier centers ‘use’ or our traffic with words and, without distracting technicalities, insightfully traces central lines of Wittgenstein’s thought. She brings in an appealingly broad set of references to contemporary philosophy, including, notably, the French reception of Wittgenstein.” -- Alice Crary, The New School
Wittgenstein: The Senses of Use is a brilliant overview of Wittgenstein’s philosophy. In it, France’s foremost expert on ordinary language philosophy, Sandra Laugier, writes with exceptional clarity and explains why Wittgenstein is a genuinely revolutionary philosopher, someone who makes us see ourselves and the world afresh. By focusing on Wittgenstein’s fundamental notion of ‘use,’ Laugier demonstrates that his rethinking of language is also a rethinking of the very foundations of philosophy of mind and of ethics. Anyone trying to grasp what Wittgenstein is doing in Philosophical Investigations should read this book.” -- Toril Moi, Duke University

ISBN: 9780226824574

Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 23mm

Weight: 481g

240 pages