Review: Wittgenstein and Reason by John Preston

'Reason' is not one of Wittgenstein's usual words (this is pointed out by more than one of the contributors to Wittgenstein and Reason). Despite this, his insights into the nature of rule-following, the basis of religious belief and our capacity to understand and interpret both the mundane and ritualistic practices of others sheds important light on what we might possibly mean by talk of what is reasonable and rational. This is clearly brought out, in different ways and contexts, by the various contributors to this collection. Each chapter of the volume offers a tightly argued, beautifully written and illuminating take on these issues.