The Relevance of Wittgenstein’s Thought for Philosophical Hermeneutics: The Problem of Translation between the Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations

The present paper aims to bring to light the relevance of Wittgenstein‘s thought for philosophical hermeneutics. In this sense it offers a thorough discussion of the Austrian philosopher‘s understanding of the concept of translation through a detailed examination of its development from its first formulation in the context of the picture theory of meaning in the Tractatus to its reformulation as language game and form of life within the use theory put forth in Philosophical Investigations. The paper argues that the skepticism towards the history of everyday language implied by Wittgenstein‘s understanding of translation could be taken as an important step forward in the development of a critical dimension of philosophical hermeneutics.