num_pages: 272
description: Written by one of the century's great thinkers, Ludwig Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations is a remarkable &amp; approachable collection of insights pertaining to his work on language, symbols, categories &amp; other topics. Organized into about 700 short observations, this book is a treasure trove for anyone who needs to think carefully about objects, categories &amp; symbols, especially in relation to structured logic applications in computer programming. The short, sometimes aphoristic observations allow readers to ponder basic questions on what describes a category, how language works in everyday situations &amp; how symbols function to represent our world. Originally a series of notes to himself as he lectured on philosophy, this is a brilliant grab bag of thought &amp; example. Often framed as a question ("How do I recognize that this is red?"), he provides answers in the 1st part in a sentence or two, never more than a paragraph. The second part uses longer answers of several pages to develop its arguments. An index lets readers browse topics of interest--such as language, concept, games or naming. Any artificial intelligence researcher looking to understand language will be intrigued by his ideas on how symbols &amp; language operate. For anyone who designs software with objects, this book's careful attention to thinking about what makes a good category demonstrates rigorous thinking about everyday objects &amp; things. Philosophical Investigations is a wonderful book that reveals the thought processes of one of history's finest minds. It exposes the fundamental problems of using language as a means of teaching machines to think using words.--Richard Dragan (edited)Topics covered: Theory of language &amp; language games, meaning &amp; symbols, concepts &amp; categories, behavior, games (including chess), color, images &amp; perception, grammar &amp; language, sensations, theory of mind &amp; thinking.
language: English
title: Philosophical Investigations
titlecomplete: Philosophical Investigations
genres: Classics, Language, Philosophy, Theory, German Literature, Academic, Linguistics, Psychology, Nonfiction, Unfinished
ratings_count: 14300
publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company (NYC)