We develop a reading of Moore's "Proof of an External World" (PEW) that emphasizes the connections between this paper and Moore's earlier concerns and strategies, especially his earlier engagement with idealist conceptions of reality. Our reading has the benefit of explaining why the claims that Moore advances in PEW would have been of interest to him, and avoids attributing to him arguments that are either trivial or wildly unsuccessful. Part of the evidence for our reading comes from unpublished drafts which, we believe, contain important clues concerning Moore's aims and intent. While our approach to PEW may be classified alongside other broadly "metaphysical" readings, we believe that a proper recognition of the continuity in Moore's philosophical concerns and strategies across his philosophical career shows that the customary distinction between "epistemological" and "metaphysical" interpretative approaches to PEW is at best superficial.
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