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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CLIMB THE LADDER? (A SIDEWAYS APPROACH)* * This paper was written with the support of CNPq (Brazilian Research Council for Scientific and Technological Development). I thank IEAT (Institute of Advanced Transdiciplinary Studies - UFMG) for a period of resarch leave. Part of this paper has appeared in several talks: at University of Quebec Montreal, Universidad de Antioquia, and Trinity College Dublin. I thank all audiences for valuable feedback. I have profited also from comments of several readers, who read a longer manuscript of which the present paper is just a part: Andrew Lugg, Craig Fox, David Stern, Juliet Floyd, Max Weiss, Sebastien Gandon, and Thomas Ricketts. I thank them all.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to show that "traditional" and "resolute" interpretations have not freed the "Tractatus" from the apparent paradoxical self-defeat. I argue that these readings only give it new clothing. Hacker's "traditional" reading ends up ascribing a metaphysical conspiracy to the "Tractatus", which is incompatible with the aims of the book. The "resolute" reading of Diamond and Conant ascribes an authorial conspiracy to Wittgenstein, which contradicts his views on authorship and method. Grounded in the difficulties found in both sides of the current debate, I conclude this paper by proposing several requirements that the correct interpretation of the "Tractatus" should fulfill.

Keywords:
Wittgenstein; "Tractatus"; resolute reading; paradox; Kierkegaard

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