mcandreb wrote:
Hi Brad,
You need to read Monk's bio. Wittgenstein renounced all his wealth right
after he was released from an Italian POW camp in 1919. His thesis for
his Ph.D (Cambridge - Russell and Whitehead advisors) was the Tractatus
(considered by many as one of the most important philosophical works of
the 20th century so it might be considered legit as a thesis) that he
wrote as an Austrian soldier during the war. I wonder why he didn't use
his family's enormous wealth to avoid that bloody war? Two of his
brothers committed suicide. Your 'facts' about his playing architect are
inaccurate.
During the 1920s he spent 6 years as an elementary school teacher
working with poor Austrian kids. He lived a monk-like existence from
1920 till his death in 1951.
I have no objection to a person living in *VOLUNTARY POVERTY*. From
what I understand, Wittgenstein did not want to be bothered by money,
so he gave his inheritance to his sisters, who looked after his
interests.
I don't think he had an easy life. I read he had a nervous
breakdown in WWI, and some persons think [I would tend to
agree based on what he wrote about "meaning blindness"
and "language games"...] that he had mild autism --
Asperger's syndrome.
But the fawning adulation he seems to have received from some persons
"is beyond me". Maybe if you are a candle in the darkness (British
philosophy in the early 20th century), you make more
of an impression than if you are a lighthouse beacon in the open
(Husserl) -- even if, in the latter case,
the light is going out all around (Hitler)....
A teacher I had at Yale, John Wild, felt that Wittgenstein and
phenomenology (Husserl et al.) were simpatico and could
productively be thought together. But I find Husserl a lot more
congenial to me than Wittgenstein.
What I don't relate to, I pass over in silence.*
\brad mccormick
--
*- Unless its adherents get in my way
Take care,
Brian
mcandreb wrote:
Hi Selma,
Wittgenstein is behind Shotter. You need to get to know him. His
life
must be appreciated in order to understand his writing.
[snip]
I don't think it hurt that Wittgenstein was a member of the
richest family in Austria.
I don't think it hurt that he got his PhD in a genuinely
human way: The professors at wherever it was [Oxford or
Cambridge...] decided W. needed a doctorate to teach there.
So they convened a meeting where W lectured to them for
a couple hours and then they granted him the degree.
(I know an artist who got an MA basically that way.)
Back to great wealth. Few persons get the opportunity to
play architect the way W did in his sisters' house:
When the house was almost done, he came on the
scene and had the roof raised a couple feet at great
expense. He took *two years* to find a foundry
that would cast the radiators to his satisfaction.
(There is a book on this: The Architecture
of Ludwig Wittgenstein", NYU Press.)
(I feel that, if I had had such opportunities I might
have done a bit better in life than I have done.... But
we can agree, nonetheless, that W. did make
good use of his good fortune, unlike, e.g., a Dubya.)
\brad mccormick
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
_______________________________________________
Futurework mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
_______________________________________________
Futurework mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
