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Such are the depths the human spirit is capable of attaining that only looking back at the work of great thinkers can we hope to have the chance to make sense of our passage through life.
Now,
I know what those of you who went through all the posts are thinking: ‘Oh no, philosophy
– again?’ Yes, I’m afraid you’ll have to take it or leave it: the great
adventure of words and their meanings hasn’t yet drawn to a close.
Now
that editing is over, listen to the abridged version of the BBC radio programme
on Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose full version you may listen to on In Our Time
Philosophy (see link on the right side of the page).
While you listen, complete the gaps with a word or a short phrase.
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WITTGENSTEIN
Ludwig
Wittgenstein was a towering figure in 20th Century thought. In 1929,
the economist John Maynard Keynes acknowledged him as – (0) God – having descended among men.
Considered
the greatest philosopher of the Modern Age, Wittgenstein left some challenging
statements for his - (1) - in philosophy. In his early work, he said, ‘the
limits of my language - (2) - the limits of my world.’
His
main philosophical purpose was liberating humanity from the neurotic questing over
how - (3) - could solve all the problems of philosophy.
Wittgenstein
(Vienna, 1889) was born and educated in Austria in a - (4 - 5) - family. Being
this a(n) - (6) - period of Viennese cultural development, he grew up at the
cutting edge of musical, literary and intellectual - (7) -.
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His
inquisitive mind made him enquire about the nature of the subject; that was how
he came to read Bertrand Russell’s book ‘The Principles of Mathematics.’
He
then presented himself to the renowned philosopher and mathematician whom he
started to - (10) - around the Trinity College grounds, which convinced Russell
that Wittgenstein was a - (11) -.
According
to Russell’s own account, Wittgenstein went straight to him and asked him
whether he thought he was an idiot. Russell asked for some - (12) - on
philosophy and, after reading the first sentence of Wittgenstein’s text, he realized
that he was a philosophical genius.
His
interest in mathematics and logic took Wittgenstein to tackling Russell’s - (13)
-. The outcome of their collaboration, the
Tractatus, was published in 1921.
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At
the time Russell thought, like the German philosopher Gottlob Frege, that it
was possible to - (16-17-18) - of Mathematics and Arithmetic to truths of
Logic. It was Frege’s belief that Logic represented the most general laws of
thought there were, yet they belonged to an - (19) - Platonic realm, which
Logic governs.
Albeit
extravagant, the question arose as to whether a place can be found for logic in
the world, whether it can be - (20) -. In the Tractatus, Wittgenstein rests convinced that propositions of logic
are not - (21) - of the world.
Wittgenstein’s
profound - (22) - in science pushed him towards studying the nature of language
and the way it is used to describe the world.
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If
that’s what language deals with, what about the propositions of Logic? Do these
describe - (23 - 24 - 25) - in the world?
If
truths of Logic - (26) - true, and since they are the boundaries of the world,
then they might show the limits of intelligibility. Take all the possible - (27)
- of the parts which that language allows: they will describe all the
possible - (28) - the world could be: the limits of reality.
The
limits of - (29) - coincide with the limits of reality. Therefore going beyond
the boundaries of what is intelligible means then that you’re not - (30) -.
1.
Successors;
2. Mean; 3. Language; 4-5. Fabulously wealthy; 6. Exciting; 7. Culture; 8. Engineering;
9. Mathematics. 10. Follow; 11. Madman; 12. Writing. 13. Paradox; 14. Certain;
15.control; 16-17-18. Reduce the truths; 19. Abstract; 20. Domesticated; 21.Descriptions;
22. Interest; 23-24-25. States of affairs; 26. Are; 27. Re-combinations; 28. Ways;
29. Logic; 30. Making sense.
Now that everybody is very interested in the Higgs boson particle, and mathematics is on everyone’s lips, it is very appropriate to speak about Wittgenstein. Peter Higgs, as you know, was able to predict the existence of the particle in 1964 using only mathematics. How is that possible? When Wittgenstein started his career he became very interested in mathematics and later on in logic, and this is not a coincidence. Throughout history great philosophers have followed the mathematical model as an example. What is mathematics? What is logic? Only great thinkers like Wittgenstein can answer those kind of questions?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Wittgenstein’s most important contribution to the history of philosophy is to clarify that there are certain ideas we cannot talk about because there are propositions that are meaningless. God, for example, is the unknown par excellence and we cannot say anything about it. In other words, theories about God are pure speculation. Let’s say that God is beyond human understanding and therefore we’d better not pay too much attention to atheism, theism or its consequences.
Dear Carlos,
DeleteI am one hundred percent sure that you listened attentively to the guests' contributions, for, indeed, they also speak about Wittgenstein's other Philosophical Query, namely,
If God had looked into our minds, he would not have been able to see whom we were speaking of.
The host names him 'the later Wittgenstein', as if he had become another man towards the end of his life. There are many other quotes belonging to Wittgenstein, and the first one in the post is worthy of attention.
Be as it may, I'm sure it would all be easier to cope with during our existence were it not for the magnitude that 'the pure speculation' acquires for so many people all over the world.