Gonzalo Núñez Erices

This paper proposes revisiting Wittgensteinian metaphilosophy as a critique of what Paul Horwich calls theoretical philosophy or T-philosophy. This is characterised by the construction, based on analogies and generalisations, of “philosophical propositions” in accordance with a priori principles that propose — akin to the procedure of the sciences — systematic and unified theories for philosophical problems. In the face of metaphysical over-theorisation, Wittgenstein’s proposal is well known: not to explain, but to look (PI §66); to leave everything as it is without asking for deep explanations (PI §124). The results are the discovery of the nonsense that arises when we encounter the limits of language (PI §119). This is a fundamental metaphor in the era of the Tractatus, from which he seeks to free himself in the Investigations by recognising vagueness as a phenomenon inherent in language. Should then philosophy renounce to metaphysics to dissolve its own linguistic misunderstandings? Not entirely. Wittgenstein’s position is radical because it confuses — or at least treats as inseparable — two distinct aspects: (i) theoretical metaphysics, which seeks to discover an “ultimate structure” of the world; and (ii) a philosophically legitimate metaphysics that assumes its dependence on language. This will be explored based on the Carnap-Quine debate of the early 1950s and its revival in contemporary deflationary positions such as that of Ammie Thomasson. With a critical Wittgensteinian approach, we can approach a metaphysics that is not reducible to the natural sciences nor committed to the “field of the real”. Rather, the proposal is for a Wittgensteinian synoptic metaphysics that looks at the effective uses of language and then engages with ontological-conceptual descriptions and categories.

Bio

Gonzalo Núñez Erices holds Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy from Alberto Hurtado University, Chile, and a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, sponsored by the Chilean Government’s Ministry of Education’s Becas Chile programme. He is Director of the Philosophy Department at Universidad Católica del Maule (Chile) and editor of the academic journal Palabra y Razón published by the same institution. His main research topics revolve around the work of Wittgenstein, metaphysics and the philosophy of language from the analytical and continental traditions. He is a Researcher for the project “A study of conceptual vagueness based on the notion of ‘fuzzy boundaries’ in Wittgenstein’s late philosophy” (No. 11240226), funded by Chile’s National Research and Development Association (ANID) for the period 2024–2026. Nuñez’s recent publications include “The Metaphysics Beneath a Limit: Criticism from Contemporary Liminal Theory”, in Philosophy across Borders, edited by Gavin Rae and Emm Ingala (New York: Routledge, 2024), pp. 36-58.