This course is an introduction to the later philosophy of Wittgenstein. Our emphasis will be on the following two texts: the Philosophical Investigationsand On Certainty. We will initially approach these works by taking as reference points themes from Wittgenstein’s early work, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. We will then consider, in addition to our core primary texts, a selection of further writings of Wittgenstein’s and also delve into the contributions of some of the most insightful commentators on his oeuvre. The course is structured to equip you to meet the challenges of interpreting Wittgenstein’s undeniably difficult philosophical output specifically with an eye to making it possible to answer questions such as the following. Why has the reception of the philosophy of Wittgenstein been a site of intense controversy? Would it be right to follow in the footsteps of some of Wittgenstein’s first readers and take his thought to have a politically conservative bent? Would it instead be more appropriate to treat the later philosophy of Wittgenstein as capable of shedding light on radical or liberating social thought?