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Philosophical Investigations

By: Ludwig Wittgenstein, G. E. M. Anscombe - translator
Narrated by: Jonathan Booth
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Summary

Philosophical Investigations - a landmark in 20th century philosophy - was published in 1953, two years after the death of its author. In the preface written in Cambridge in 1945 where he was professor of philosophy he states: ‘Four years ago I had occasion to re-read my first book (the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus) and to explain its ideas to someone. It suddenly seemed to me that I should publish those old thoughts and the new ones together: that the latter could be seen in the right light only by contrast with and against the background of my old way of thinking.’

Philosophical Investigations was the result.

It explores the concept of meaning, of understanding, of propositions, of logic, of states of consciousness and of many other topics. The fundamental ideas of the Tractatus are both expounded and criticised. This is the text of the third edition.

©1958 Basil Blackwell & Moss Ltd (P)2020 Ukemi Productions Ltd
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Excellent reading.

A quite difficult content, but important and stimulating. This author is known for his literary intricate style.

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Excellent presentation of a difficult book

Wittgenstein's ideas are often difficult for me, a general reader, to grasp. But they are always clearly stated, if not always fully explained. The translation is excellent. Jonathan Booth may well be the perfect reader. There is always enough animation in his voice to keep the arguments alive, and to highlight the shifts in mood, but never so much as to over-dramatise what is, in effect, the sound of one person thinking aloud. Wittgenstein's practice of numbering his paragraphs presents a problem when reading aloud which probably has no solution. To include the numbers in the reading, as Booth does, means that a disproportionate amount of one's time is spent listening to numbers. But without the numbers, Wittgenstein's main points would be less well delineated, and so probably even harder to identify and to grasp.

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