Abstract

Ever since the publication of the Tractatus, the problem of the relation between Kant and Wittgenstein has become increasingly central for a correct understanding of both philosophers, as well as of several philosophical issues, which inform contemporary debates in epistemology, philosophy of language, and (meta)metaphysics. Among them, the issue of the ‘limits’ of our human rationality stands out. Both Kant and Wittgenstein were exercised by it in their own different ways. And the destiny of transcendental philosophy may well hinge on it. In this review, I discuss the views of a number of philosophers on the 'limits of intelligibility'. Inspired by the views of these authors, as well as by the transcendental philosophies of both Kant and Wittgenstein, I identify several limits of intelligibility (discussing how they may not coincide), examine the contemporary distinction between limits and limitations, and finally, briefly consider the question of how best to understand our limited or finite human condition.