Difficult triangles Apel and Habermas' Kantianisation of the second Wittgenstein

Abstract

In this article I present Apel and Habermas’ interpretation of the second Wittgenstein work and their approach to Kant’s transcendental philosophy, highlighting their similarities and differences. I contrast this proposal with two other ways of interpreting Wittgenstein’s work: James Conant’s, resolute interpretation and Peter Winch and Richard Rorty’s relativist one. I end by formulating some criticisms of the Apelsian and Habermasian proposals, because of their distancing from the second Wittgenstein’s everyday language philosophy.