Wittgenstein: Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious Belief

by Ludwig Wittgenstein and Rush Rhees

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520013549
• ISBN13: 9780520013544
• Release Date: June 1966
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Valuable contribution to Wittgenstein corpus

This unique text contains a collection of Wittgenstein's lecture notes taken by his students Rush Rhees, James Taylor and Yorick Smithies. Their unique because of the informality of the delivery: reading these notes, one can almost imagine the philosopher seated in his flat at Cambridge, extemporaneously discussing the subjects of aesthetics, psychology and religious belief. It has been said that these particular subjects were only superficially touched upon in Wittgenstein's main works, Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations, and because of the informality of the discussions, are therefore more accessible for anyone interested in contemporary philosophy. Although the notes on aesthetics and religious belief are interesting, Wittgenstein's views on Freud, i.e., psychoanalysis and particularly dream language, symbology and their interpretation throws a new light on psychoanalysis, in terms of the on-going argument as to whether it can be classified a true "science". The key to psychoanalysis' power and longevity is the cleverness and charm of the various arguments it proposes. The idea that _any_ opposition to Freud is a form of "resistance" from the unconscious has persisted throughout its history. This notion, at least in the beginning of the movement, successfully thwarted any productive dialogue and criticism. Overall, however, Wittgenstein claimed that analysis was likely to do harm, he writes, "Because although one may discover in the course of it various things about oneself, one must have a very strong and keen and persistent criticism in order to recognize and see through the mythology that is offered or imposed on one. There is an inducement to say, `Yes, of course, it must be like that.' A powerful mythology" (P.52) Reading these informal "notes" has given me a better understanding of Wittgenstein's process of thought and investigation into these subjects. This volume is quite small, though it is full of insight and useful for anyone interested in contemporary philosophy.

Wittgenstein on Aesthetics

This book contains lectures and discussions by Wittgenstein on topics that are not addressed in his major works: aesthetics and religious belief. The remarks were recorded by students and friends. In his early work, the Tractatus, Wittgenstein said: Ethics and aesthetics are one. Both are "beyond" capture in a "meaningful proposition". His later philosophy has a surprising turn away from the earlier ideas.Anyone doing aesthetics cannot ignore these remarks. Are poems important? Is laughter a concern of philosophy? The distinction betwen cause and reason is for W. at the root of a major misunderstanding in aesthetics.W. was fascinated by St. Augustine, Cardinal Newman, George Fox, Luther. O.K. Bouwsma once remarked to me that W. had said to him that it was astounding that a man as intelligent as Cardinal Newman saw a miracle in the fact that Napoleon's troops weapons dropped from their hands in the attack on Russia.