Ludwig Wittgenstein - Philosopher of the Body?

The main topic of this essay is an interpretation of Ludwig Wittgenstein's thought in the context of the phenomenology, especially regarding his late philosophy, presented in Philosophical Investigations, and its comparison with the project of the phenomenology of the body, demonstrated in Phenomenology of Perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty. The starting point of this proposition is the early philosophy of Wittgenstein and the outline of his theory of the person, introduced in a phenomenological (Husserlian) manner. A key inspiration for the essay was Adam Lipszyc's analysis of Wittgenstein's understanding of subjectivity in general. The central question here is whether Wittgenstein can be called a philosopher of the body. Some arguments backing this hypothesis can be found in the similarities between his work and Merleau-Ponty's thought. While the answer should probably be negative, this analysis itself has some value. The author explains Wittgenstein's philosophy using phenomenological theoretical tools and, consequently, transcends the limitations stemming from the strict division between analytical and continental philosophy. The essay endevours to show the Viennese philosopher's thought in a refreshing context, while also presenting a new field for philosophical investigations (nomen omen) in general.