Überwindung

* * * * * * * * * By J. L. Speranza, of the Grice Club

* * * * * * * * * * * * * For the Carnap Corner.

"Überwindung" is the word Carnap used in his "Überwindung" essay. It has been translated, by A. P. (it "was" translated, indeed) as "elimination" but that's perhaps too strong.

I think 'windung' is cognate with 'winding' as in Sir Paul (McCartney), The long and winding road".

"Über" brings a sense of finality to it, and while this preposition is not usually capitalised, but written as "über", it _is_ when prefixing a noun, like '-windung' which yields "elimination".

---- The sentence in focus is

Heidegger

"Das Nichts selbst nichtet"

-- Carnap omits, but we need broader context, the 'selbst', as it is, perhaps, otiose.

Now: the arguments for the 'rejection' and 'elimination' of a whole enterprise surely cannot rest on a solecism, and Carnap KNEW it.

But analytic philosophers (unlike Quine: he cannot have his cake and eat it, so he's no more an 'analytic philosopher' to me) will like to analyse in some detail. So whatever Heidegger's "external" considerations, we want to focus on this particular sentence. And more importantly, on Carnap's arguments for 'rejecting' or ueberwinden-ing it. But later,

JLS