Wittgenstein's Vienna

This book is unfortunately quite dated.

As the enthusiasm of analytic philosophers for Wittgenstein has gradually waned over time, the significance and relevance of this particular book have also diminished.

I found myself losing interest in it very rapidly.

Even though I have a great love for Vienna, which might have otherwise piqued my curiosity further, it wasn't enough to keep me engaged with this book.

The ideas and discussions presented within its pages seem to belong to a bygone era, and they no longer hold the same appeal or offer the same level of intellectual stimulation as they perhaps once did.

It's a pity, really, considering the potential it might have had in a different context or at an earlier time.

But such is the nature of intellectual trends and the evolution of ideas.

This book serves as a reminder of how quickly things can change and how important it is to stay current with the latest developments in any given field.

Such a great read!

I am truly of the opinion that this book is likely to be of utmost importance when it comes to seeking an understanding of the guy. It seems to offer valuable insights and perspectives that can significantly contribute to a more in-depth comprehension. The author's writing style is engaging and captivating, making it a pleasure to explore the contents. Each page seems to unfold a new layer of information, gradually piecing together a more complete picture of the individual in question. I find myself constantly thinking about the ideas presented and how they relate to my own perception. It is clear that this book has the potential to be a fundamental resource for anyone interested in delving deeper into the study of this particular person.

The original article seems to be rather brief and perhaps a bit lacking in detail. Let's expand and rewrite it to make it more engaging and interesting.

The density of a substance can often be a rather complex and perhaps initially unappealing concept. It's not something that immediately grabs our attention or seems overly exciting. However, upon closer examination, the idea of density holds a great deal of significance. It helps us understand how much mass is contained within a given volume. For example, a substance with a high density will have a lot of mass packed into a relatively small space, while a substance with a low density will have less mass in the same volume. This concept is not only important in the field of science but also has practical applications in our daily lives. We can use our understanding of density to determine the buoyancy of objects in fluids, to design more efficient materials, and even to solve problems related to shipping and transportation. So, while density may not seem that interesting at first glance, it is actually a fascinating and essential concept that has a wide range of applications.

This book is truly excellent for gaining some background knowledge on the remarkable era that preceded the First World War in Vienna.

Details such as the housing shortage in the city and the chronic sanitation problem are extremely helpful in painting a vivid picture.

The first chapter on Karl Kraus is also clear and concise.

However, what is not so clear is the middle of the book where the authors struggle, unfortunately without success, to crystallize the development of the preeminent philosopher of the 20th Century.

No one expects this to be an easy task, but it almost seems as if the authors are too intimidated to make a proper attempt.

I found it rather curious and a little annoying that nowhere in the book do the authors include Wittgenstein's birth year.

Yes, one can easily look it up, which I did, but I really wished to know if he was an exact contemporary of Hitler, with whom he nearly crossed paths, as the authors point out, in a school.

They did not make clear at what age this incident occurred.

One can easily get lost in the muddled mess that is their take on Wittgenstein's thought processes.

If that is what you are hoping to find, you will be disappointed as it is not here.

They do have more success with interesting tidbits on Schonberg, Ernst Mach, and Hofmansthal.

Again, would it have been so difficult to include the first name of this last poet?

There are a number of such idiosyncratic annoyances, but if you can overlook them, there is still much of great interest in this book.

It was an ambitious effort, and the reader must give the authors credit for that.

A Fascinating Account of Philosophy, History, Politics, and the Arts

This work offers a truly captivating exploration of various disciplines. Firstly, it delves into Wittgenstein's philosophy, providing a fresh perspective that reignited my interest. Previously, I was more drawn to his later ideas, deeming the Tractatus as a dry and pretentious attempt to simplify all philosophy into a logical language. However, I now understand that this was the view of the Vienna Circle. Wittgenstein actually emerged from a tradition encompassing Kant, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, and Tolstoy. The Tractatus was intended to address trivial linguistic issues, thereby liberating philosophical discussion to focus on what truly matters in metaphysics and ethics.

Yet, this exploration doesn't occur in isolation. The book also examines similar movements in music, visual arts, architecture, literature, and even politics. This is precisely what I believe philosophy requires: context. It shows that philosophy is an intellectual endeavor that responds to its surroundings, seeking the abstract concepts underlying them.

I read this book alongside "Just The Arguments," which condensed 100 philosophical arguments into concise structures but lacked sufficient context. This contrast only served to emphasize the significance of Wittgenstein's contribution and made those other arguments seem rather simplistic and unimportant.

The end result is that I now feel the need for a brief hiatus from reading philosophy and instead open myself up to the world of novels and poetry. This will allow me to gain a different perspective and perhaps return to philosophy with a more enriched understanding.

This book will perhaps only be understood by those who have themselves already thought the thoughts which are expressed in it—or similar thoughts. So said the author of the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.

The authors of “Wittgenstein’s Vienna” aimed to reveal what he truly had in mind by closely examining the environment in which he grew up. They presented a thought-provoking interpretation of a perplexing book. However, I felt it was much stronger in making assertions than providing evidence. They seemed to consider repetition as a form of proof.

It appears to be more of a book to be read within a philosophy department rather than for learning about fin-de-siecle Vienna. It might be valuable for those deeply interested in Wittgenstein's philosophy and the context in which his ideas were formed. But for those seeking a comprehensive understanding of the historical and cultural background of fin-de-siecle Vienna, it may not be the most suitable choice.

Overall, while the book offers some interesting insights, its lack of solid evidence and its focus on a specific aspect of Wittgenstein's work limit its appeal to a wider audience.

943.61304 J337 1996

This set of numbers and letters might seem rather mysterious at first glance.

Perhaps they hold some specific significance in a particular context. It could be a reference code for a research paper, a product identification number, or something else entirely.

Without further information, it's difficult to determine exactly what it means. However, it's interesting to speculate about the possible interpretations.

Maybe J337 represents a specific journal or publication, and 1996 is the year it was released. Or perhaps 943.61304 is a unique identifier for a particular article within that journal.

Whatever the case may be, this combination of numbers and letters serves as a reminder that there is often more to a simple code or sequence than meets the eye.

It makes us wonder about the hidden meanings and stories that lie behind such seemingly random assortments of characters.

Wittgenstein passionately believes that all that really matters in human life is precisely what, in his view, we must be silent about.

The book posits that the themes of Wittgenstein's Tractatus are intertwined with a broader body of discourse that captivated fin de siècle Viennese intellectuals. The initial five chapters delineate the intellectual ambiance of Vienna, encompassing the controversies and innovations in political theory, art, music, architecture, and science. Every concept and theory mentioned within these pages appears to reverberate with themes addressed in Wittgenstein's work. There is the Krausian dichotomy between reason and fantasy, the speakable and the unspeakable. His and Hoffmannsthal's preoccupation with the primacy of authenticity, an authenticity and integrity that should be mirrored in the professional output of artists and intellectuals. Kierkegaard's subjectivist ethics and indirect discourse. Boltzmann and Hertz's perspective on the mathematical structures that model physical reality. Schopenhauer's theses on representations. All of these seem to ferment and distill into the dense propositions of the Tractatus.

Consequently, the view that Wittgenstein, in his critique of language, endorses positivism is also refuted in the book. Instead of embracing nihilism (as the positivists and empiricists who idolized him did), he seems to have subscribed to Kierkegaardian and Krausian morality. This has the additional effect of accounting for the ethical standards he set for himself (evidenced by his reverence for Tolstoy's morality stories and the austerities he imposed on himself). The positivists who have appropriated the mechanisms (of language and logic) he devised, in an attempt to fortify their nihilism, have taken literally a few of his propositions regarding the futility of metaphysical nonsense due to its impenetrability. However, it is evident that Wittgenstein deems what is, to them, "nonsense" as far from unimportant.