Wittgenstein the man, and Wittgenstein's philosophy has been the focus of modern thinker's for two generations. His enigmatic logic and original thoughts on the nature of language, for example, has influenced many disciplines across the spectrum, including anthropology, cultural studies and literary theory. Wittgenstein has also been called the quintessential icon of Modernism, the most original thinker since Plato, yet has been the most misunderstood philosopher in the history of ideas. If you want to understand his philosophy, where do you start? This study guide, written clearly by John Heaton, in my opinion, is a good place to begin.
Introducing Wittgenstein combines biographical information about the man and his thoughts. The only book to be published by Wittgenstein in his lifetime was his Tractatus Logico- Philosophicus, a mere seventy-page treatise that confounded and inspired the leading minds of his generation. The book begins with the line, "The world is all that is the case." ending with the line, "What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence." As Heaton proposes, "...the last sentence assumes that only factual propositions are meaningful, so the world consists only in facts...there is a distinction between what can be -said- and what can only be -shown- is being developed organically" (P. 30)
The Tractatus was not intended to be an easy study. In fact in the Preface, Wittgenstein wrote, "Its purpose would be achieved if it gave pleasure to one person who read and understood it."
Introducing Wittgenstein moves on from the Tractatus touching on the changes of the man's thought about the nature of language, logic, mathematics, religion, art and culture, up to the end of his life.
Heaton makes a brave and successful attempt to illustrate the many at times complex ideas in Wittgenstein's later work, Philosophical Investigations, which most academics today believe is the more developed and refined expressions of his philosophy.
This book does a fine job of explaining Wittgenstein's thought in a clear and accessible manner and tone; although superficial, touching only the surfaces, as it is an introduction, it is an appropriate place to begin.
This is the second book I've read in the "Introducing..." series and the first I've had a positive experience with. Employing graphics and text (with a little more emphasis on the graphics) INTRODUCING WITTGENSTEIN provided me with enough information to decide whether I wanted to proceed from introduction to a deeper acquaintance.
The first half of the book is a short biography of Wittgenstein, the second a truncated and abbreviated synopsis of his philosophy. The looser graphic format allows the authors to avoid some of the limitations of the more traditional, text-only biography. They aren't tied to a linear narrative. Most important, perhaps, is that the graphics make an intimidating subject seem more approachable.
The second half of the book deals with Wittgenstein's philosophy. Although it doesn't explain Wittgenstein's philosophy (I'm afraid you'd have to go to the source material for that) it does outline Wittgenstein's area of interest - thought and language, non-existential truths, doubt and certainty.
After reading this, do I know what Wittgenstein was talking about? Yes and no. I don't understand his philosophy, but that wasn't quite the point of this book. I have a rough idea of his work, and the authors include an annotated bibliography if I want to continue on. Introduction successful.
