A Poetic Philosophy of Language: Nietzsche and Wittgenstein’s Expressivism

Philip Mills brings together the writings of Nietzsche and Wittgenstein to bridge the continental and analytical divide, arguing that poetry can help us understand core questions in philosophy of language. He highlights the continuity of poetic language with ordinary language and proposes a new philosophy of poetry with wide-ranging potentialities, operating at the crossroads between philosophy of art and language.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 22 February 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Philip Mills, a scholar who excels in bridging the gap between continental and analytical philosophy, achieves this remarkable feat by seamlessly integrating the writings of Nietzsche and Wittgenstein. Through his innovative approach, he advocates for a poetic philosophy of language, which holds the potential to shed light on some of the fundamental inquiries within the realm of language philosophy. Mills emphasizes the interconnectedness of poetic language with everyday speech, positioning Nietzsche and Wittgenstein's ideas as the most effective means to broaden the scope of poetry philosophy. By delving into the historical roots of the expressivist tradition in philosophy of language, this study traces its origins from German Romanticism to the works of contemporary expressivists like Huw Price and Robert Brandom. Where traditional philosophical tools have struggled to comprehend the complexities of poetry, A Poetic Philosophy of Language emerges as a groundbreaking work that operates at the intersection of philosophy of art and language. It presents a novel philosophy of poetry, brimming with endless possibilities and offering a fresh perspective on the artistic and linguistic dimensions of human experience.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350300149