This paper explores the methodological aspects of Elizabeth Anscombe’s The Reality of the Past (RP), arguing that her discussion exemplifies a thoroughly Wittgensteinian approach to philosophical problems. Through a close reading of Anscombe’s paper, I examine how she exposes the philosophical confusion underlying questions concerning the reality of the past by drawing on a particular language-game and demonstrating how our thinking can thus become entangled in misleading analogies. I argue that understanding her methodological stance sheds light on Anscombe’s conception of the nature of philosophical investigation and clarifies the role of conceptual analysis in addressing seemingly profound problems.
