Philosophical Studies on Wittgenstein in China

Abstract It has been a century since Wittgenstein was introduced into China, and his philosophy has been in conflict with traditional Chinese philosophy and culture ever since. During this time, Wittgenstein’s philosophy has been the focus of considerable dialogue regarding Chinese and Western philosophies and has been responsible for introducing many new ideas into Chinese philosophy. There are three ways to study Wittgenstein’s philosophy in China: contextual reading, interpretation of thoughts and extended understanding. Chen Jiaying is one of the foremost scholars of the study of Wittgenstein in China. This scholar incorporates Wittgenstein’s methodology, especially in his later philosophy, to explain meanings of ordinary language. Wittgenstein’s philosophy introduces anti-essentialism into Chinese studies, a new way to interpret the philosophy of language, and his criticism of traditional Western philosophy. Taken together, these factors emphasise the significance of Wittgenstein’s philosophy to philosophical research in China.