An Introduction to Wittgenstein's "tractatus"

by G.E.M. Anscombe

Book Overview

Anscombe guides us through the Tractatus and, thereby, Wittgenstein's early philosophy as a whole. She shows in particular how his arguments developed out of the discussions of Russell and Frege. This reprint is of the fourth, corrected edition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812210190
• ISBN13: 9780812210194
• Release Date: October 1971
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The reviewer who mentions the irony of Wittgentstein and Anscombe's friendship is incorrect.

Throughout most of his adult life, Wittgenstein flirted with conversion to the Catholic faith. Don't read the Tractatus and fall into the naive trap of logical positivism. Wittgenstein was above all concerned with fighting the modern, secular worldview and promoting a religious one. Though he did not explicitly endorse scripturual stories as literal truth, he was concerned to promote a worldview in which questions about value were taken seriously and not dismissed as unscientific superstition. Anscombe is a good interpreter and capable of understanding Wittgenstein, though not for the lay reader.

Silent speaks ( by Ludwig Wittgenstein )

Leading this book is an Introduction from his contemporaryBertand Russell,who states "the book is considered an importantevent in the philosophical world." Lidwig begins with "Philosophy is not a theory but an activity"from his Opus (1921). He starts off the book dealing with symbolism and words,thenstates that their are four main points: Theory of knowledge Principals of physics Ethics Mystical Starting with the last page opens up your mind and gives it a fresh look in understanding all he says. "My propositions are elucidatory in this way: he who understands me finally recognizes them as senseless, when he has climbedout through them, on them, over them. (He must so to speak throw away the ladder, after he has climbed up on it.)Where one cannot speak, therefore one must be silent." Let go of any begining ideas and let his ideas flow through you. Sandra Daftarian/Jan.2002