"Although Ludwig Wittgenstein is often described as the most important and interesting philosopher of the twentieth century, it is also said that our fascination with him is a function of our bewilderment over who he really was and what his work stands for. The aim of this work is to uncover and bring into focus, through a more careful reading of his works, the real Wittgenstein. Philosopher John W. Cook discusses Wittgenstein's neutral monism, conceptual relativism, and language-games (among other issues) and traces these ideas and especially Wittgenstein's vocabulary to their roots in his early writings and lectures, thereby providing a historical approach to his work that has been lacking in other commentaries. This approach removes much of the mystery that has surrounded Wittgenstein's philosophy. What emerges is a philosopher who was both more interesting and more resourceful than either his defenders or his critics have realized."--BOOK JACKET.