Wittgensteinʼs and Borgesʼ Labyrinth-Imagery

Abstract

The paper discusses Wittgensteinʼs labyrinth-imagery in the Philosophical Investigations and Zettel in the light of ancient Greek labyrinth-story of Theseusʼ escape from the labyrinth and Borgesʼlabyrinth-stories. The paper argues that considerable light is shed on several unappreciated dimensions of Wittgensteinʼs later philosophy by these religious and literary labyrinth-stories. The paper argues that Wittgensteinʼs labyrinth-imagery is connected with other important dimensions of his later philosophy, including his imagery of the emergence of linguistic order (meaning) from chaos in paragraph 608 of Zettel, his imagery of philosophy as a journey in Preface to the Philosophical Investigations, his insistence on the need for courage in philosophizing, his view that language arises out of animal instincts, and his Socratic comments that philosophy must be brought "down to earth." It is also argued that whereas an escape from the labyrinth, via "Ariadneʼs thread," is possible in the ancient labyrinth story, Wittgenstein, with Borges and Kafka, holds that no escape from the modern labyrinth is possible. The story of Wittgensteinʼs and Borgesʼ and Kafkaʼs modern labyrinths is more pessimistic than the ancient story. Modern human beings must simply learn to live in the labyrinth. Understanding the literary roots of Wittgensteinʼs labyrinthimagery illuminates his later philosophy and his conception of philosophizing. Although there is no intention to deny Wittgensteinʼs strong links to linguistic or analytical philosophy, the paper argues that Wittgensteinʼs thought is far more informed by the existential concerns of human life than is generally recognized. 1