Wittgenstein and scientism

Wittgenstein wrote critically about science, accusing it of "putting man to sleep". This volume is the first study of Wittgenstein's scientism - a theme in his work that is both clearly central to his thought yet strikingly neglected by the existing literature. This volume explores the philosophical basis of Wittgenstein's anti-scientism; how this anti-scientism helps us understand Wittgenstein's philosophical aims; and how this underlies his later conception of philosophy and the kind of philosophy he attacked. The chapters explore and articulate Wittgenstein's views on scientism and anti-scientism, critically assess them, and consider how they apply to topics such as mind and psychology, philosophical practice, the nature of religious belief, and the place of science in modern culture

Scientism as a threat to science : Wittgenstein on self-subverting methodologies / Chon Tejedor -- Superstition, science, and life / David E. Cooper -- Rituals, philosophy, science, and progress : Wittgenstein on Frazer / Annalisa Coliva -- Wittgenstein's anti-scientistic worldview / Jonathan Beale -- Wittgenstein, scientism, and anti-scientism in the philosophy of mind / William Child -- Reawakening to wonder : Wittgenstein, Feyerabend and scientism / Ian James Kidd -- 'Too ridiculous for words': Wittgenstein on scientific aesthetics / Severin Schroeder -- How to think about the climate crisis via precautionary reasoning : a Wittgensteinian case study in overcoming scientism / Rupert Read -- The myth of the quietist Wittgenstein / Danièle Moyal-Sharrock -- Meaning scepticism and scientism / Genia Schönbaumsfeld -- Wittgenstein, science, and the evolution of concepts / James C. Klagge -- Wittgenstein, naturalism, and scientism / Benedict Smith