Name: Wittgenstein
ISBN: 9780851703978

Terry Eagleton

Derek Jarman

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Derek Jarman's film Wittgenstein articulates the themes of this major 20th-century philosopher. Channel Four television commissioned literary critic Terry Eagleton to write a television play which was eventually filmed by Derek Jarman.

The Terry Eagleton Script, the Derek Jarman Film

Wittgenstein

In 1938 Wittgenstein delivered a short course of lectures on aesthetics to a small group of students at Cambridge. The present volume has been compiled from notes taken down at the time by three of the students: Rush Rhees, Yorick Smythies, and James Taylor. They have been supplemented by notes of conversations on Freud (to whom reference was made in the course on aesthetics) between Wittgenstein and Rush Rhees, and by notes of some lectures on religious belief. As very little is known of Wittgenstein's views on these subjects from his published works, these notes should be of considerable interest to students of contemporary philosophy. Further, their fresh and informal style should recommend Wittgenstein to those who find his Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations a little formidable.

Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious Belief

Donald

Addition:

I totally forgot to write about two of the things I liked about this book. First of all, all of these books of lectures/student notes are evidence of the amazing dedication, loyalty, and respect Wittgenstein's students had for him. Are there any other examples of this in the modern world? Certainly Socrates is the archetypal teacher who lives on in the writings of his students.

The other thing that struck me was how many of David Foster Wallace's Wittgensteinisms come from this book. It's pretty clear he was channeling this book in 'The Broom of the System'. Wittgenstein talks about "click". Etcetera.



Original review:

Most of Wittgenstein's ideas survive in collections of notes his students took during lectures and conversations. This is such a collection.

It is mesmerizing to read Wittgenstein working through questions. Even when his conclusions are now outdated or wrong (in light of modern brain science, for example), his methods are incredible. The discussion of Freud is great.

The weakest part of this collection are the short conversations at the end about religious belief, but when reading through them I remembered the 'girl who thought Jesus was a statue' sermon in the novel 'Q' by Luther Blissett. The sermon is delivered by an old anabaptist contra Catholicism, and I think it is a very Wittgensteinian sermon.

Wittgenstein The Terry Eagleton Script, the Derek Jarman Film

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