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This course introduces the thought of the Austrian Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who became one of the most significant philosophers of language of the twentieth century. After early engagement with Russell on logic and language before and during the first world war, he abandoned philosophy for primary school teaching in Austria. However, in 1929 he returned to Philosophy (and Cambridge) and began developing an influential approach to the philosophy of language which looked away from the idealised language of logical positivists. Rather than continue developing 'logic', he explored the 'grammar' of ordinary language. His method of enquiry has implications not just for the philosophy of language, but for philosophical psychology, ethics and religion.
Week 1
Logic, Language and the World: early twentieth century dreams
This week explores Wittgenstein's background, and his first attempts to engage with the work of Frege and Russell. Logical atomism, logical positivism and purified, scientific language.
Week 2
Making sense of the Tractatus
This session does a deep dive into selections from the Tractatus. Prepare to play with logical operators, set notation and truth tables. But prepare too to notice some very un-English remarks about what can and cannot be said, and what matters.
Week 3
Philosophical Investigations: Language games and theories of mind
We begin with Augustine on a building site and enter a whole new way of looking at the relationship between language and the world. Truth and meaning emerge in the language games we play. In the process, we have to rethink the language of thinking.
Week 4
Philosophical Investigations: the private language argument
Though the Investigations is a non-linear text, one of the recurring themes (approached from different angles throughout the work) is a novel solution to the problem of solipsism raised by Descartes. We will try to follow some of the twists and turns of the argument.
Week 5
Wittgenstein and Religion
A generation of philosophers of religion were inspired by Wittgenstein's account of meaning as 'use'. They saw a way to rehabilitating religious language marginalised in the world of the logical positivists. In this session, we'll look at some of the things Wittgenstein himself said about religion as well as how some philosophers applied his approach.
Week 1: Texts 1-3. Text 4 pp 209-212, Text 5 483-488 and Text 8 (Tractatus) pp 23-25
Week 2: Text 8 (passim - tba)
Week 3: Texts 6-7, Text 10 (Investigations) Preface and pp 2-3
Week 4: Text 10 (passim - tba)
Week 5: Texts 9, 10 and 11: Wittgenstein(ism), Religion and Ethics.
Please note that file no. 10 has been split into three parts due to its size.
Please try and read the texts suggested in advance. Weeks one and two are the hardest. But don’t feel obliged to make your brainhurt too much!
{see PDF below}
Ray Monk, The Duty of Genius. (Vintage, 1991). (138-157, 498-509, 542-550)
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (Transl.Ogden). (Edinburgh Press, 1922)
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations (Transl.Anscombe). (Blackwell, 1967)
Brian McGuinness and G.H. von Wright, LudwigWittgenstein: Cambridge Letters (Blackwell, 1995). (58-61, 110-127, 132-133, 154-159)
D.Z.Phillips “Wittgenstein: Contemplation and CulturalCriticism” in Kai Nielsen and D.Z.Phillips, Wittgensteinian Fideism? (SCM, 2005). (348-371)
A.C. Grayling, Wittgenstein: A Very Short Introduction (OUP,2001)
Norman Malcom, Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir, (OUP,2001)
Ray Monk, The Duty of Genius (Vintage, 1991).
Iris Murdoch, Under The Net (Vintage, 2002).
John Moffatt SJ works at the London Jesuit Centre. His first degree was in Classics. He taught in London secondary schools intermittently between 1985 and 2016 and has worked briefly in University Chaplaincy. He has been involved with teenage and adult faith education in Britain and South Africa and has recently completed a doctorate in medieval Islamic philosophy.
