Ludwig Wittgenstein

[Bob_Crowley]

As someone who’d like to know more about philosophy (despite my untutored bias that considers “existentialism” would be closest to Christian thought, as most people “exist” and that’s about it), but who will most likely not do much about it due to time constraints and a sense it would be a waste of time, I would still like to know from a better educated person as to what the significance is of Ludwig Wittgenstein in philosophical thought?

What was the particular emphasis he brought to bear on philosophy?

 

[Betterave]

As someone who’d like to know more about philosophy (despite my untutored bias that considers “existentialism” would be closest to Christian thought, as most people “exist” and that’s about it), but who will most likely not do much about it due to time constraints and a sense it would be a waste of time, I would still like to know from a better educated person as to what the significance is of Ludwig Wittgenstein in philosophical thought?

What was the particular emphasis he brought to bear on philosophy?

LW was a big player in the linguistic turn in philosophy. Emphasis on analyzing language. Meaning is use: we look at how words, signs, symbols are used to determine their meanings. Language games: we use words as parts of “games” for which we know the rules… simply because we have learned them. Often interpreted as emphasizing the social construction of concepts as something which we can’t get beyond in grasping meaning. “This is how we do it/how we talk” is a “bedrock” for us, we cannot investigate beyond such observations, if we seek to investigate further “our spades are turned.” This realization is supposed to function as a philosophical therapy to get us beyond pseudo-problems that we cannot possibly address with our concepts. But we cannot really speak about this, since doing so would be contradictory. The most important things surpass what can be expressed in our philosophical language games. LW was very drawn to Catholic ritual, had desires to become a preist. Student, close collaborator, and designated translator was Catholic analytic philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe.

Wittgenstein, especially later Wittgenstein, is a fun read, if you do find the time. Very aphoristic, unsystematic, but thought-provoking.

 

[MindOverMatter2]

LW was a big player in the linguistic turn in philosophy. Emphasis on analyzing language. Meaning is use: we look at how words, signs, symbols are used to determine their meanings. Language games: we use words as parts of “games” for which we know the rules… simply because we have learned them. Often interpreted as emphasizing the social construction of concepts as something which we can’t get beyond in grasping meaning. “This is how we do it/how we talk” is a “bedrock” for us, we cannot investigate beyond such observations, if we seek to investigate further “our spades are turned.” This realization is supposed to function as a philosophical therapy to get us beyond pseudo-problems that we cannot possibly address with our concepts. But we cannot really speak about this, since doing so would be contradictory. The most important things surpass what can be expressed in our philosophical language games. LW was very drawn to Catholic ritual, had desires to become a preist. Student, close collaborator, and designated translator was Catholic analytic philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe.

Wittgenstein, especially later Wittgenstein, is a fun read, if you do find the time. Very aphoristic, unsystematic, but thought-provoking.

I am interested in this stuff because i think that it may have some important consequences for teleological meaning. Didn’t they give birth to the phenomenological movement? What is it in contrast to Thomism? I am interested in this. In fact i might already have some e-books that haven’t yet read. Give me some book names.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

LW was a big player in the linguistic turn in philosophy. Emphasis on analyzing language. Meaning is use: we look at how words, signs, symbols are used to determine their meanings. Language games: we use words as parts of “games” for which we know the rules… simply because we have learned them. Often interpreted as emphasizing the social construction of concepts as something which we can’t get beyond in grasping meaning. “This is how we do it/how we talk” is a “bedrock” for us, we cannot investigate beyond such observations, if we seek to investigate further “our spades are turned.” This realization is supposed to function as a philosophical therapy to get us beyond pseudo-problems that we cannot possibly address with our concepts. But we cannot really speak about this, since doing so would be contradictory. The most important things surpass what can be expressed in our philosophical language games. LW was very drawn to Catholic ritual, had desires to become a preist. Student, close collaborator, and designated translator was Catholic analytic philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe.

Wittgenstein, especially later Wittgenstein, is a fun read, if you do find the time. Very aphoristic, unsystematic, but thought-provoking.

Thanks for your summary. I don’t know if LW actually joined the church, but he’d have made an infinitely better Catholic than his primary school classmate, Adolf Hitler. I’ve seen a class photo somewhere, and LW is in the front row. Up in the back row looking just like a little Hitler, is young Adolf.

 

[Betterave]

I am interested in this stuff because i think that it may have some important consequences for teleological meaning. Didn’t they give birth to the phenomenological movement? What is it in contrast to Thomism? I am interested in this. In fact i might already have some e-books that haven’t yet read. Give me some book names.

I think *Philosophical Investigations *and *On Certainty *are standard starting points for later Wittgenstein (that’s what I’m familiar with). If you want something weird, early Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus is the place to go (go straight to the end if it’s too dense - that’s the best part).