Dr. Thomas McNally

Email: mcnallt@tcd.ie

Main Research Topic: Wittgenstein on Meaning and Mathematics

Other Research Interests: The Tractatus and logicism; Kant on judgement; Husserl

Education

Ph.D. (Philosophy) Trinity College Dublin

M.Phil. (Philosophy) Cambridge University

M.Litt. (Philosophy) University College Dublin

B.A. (Philosophy) Milltown Institute

Thesis Outline

My research is focused primarily on Saul Kripke's interpretation of Wittgenstein's discussion of rule–following and meaning in Philosophical Investigations and Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics. Taking account of the recent literature on this topic (especially the work of Wright, McDowell, Wilson and Kusch) I explore the proposal that Wittgenstein was mainly concerned with undermining a particularly attractive, but ultimately paradoxical, "realist" conception of meaning. I assess what we are left with if Wittgenstein's critique is successful, and in particular whether certain anti–realist conceptions of meaning fare any better. Finally, with time and space permitting, I intend to consider the implications that Wittgenstein's response to these issues has for his view of mathematics, which is the most poorly understood part of his philosophy.