Philosophy Study Group

We will begin a study of a classic – many say the most important – 20th century book on philosophy, Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein. Originally published posthumously in 1953, it has undergone four editions. Any of these editions is acceptable, but, like usual, the later ones are better. New paperbacks run from about $20 and up, and, unusually, ebooks are more expensive, starting at around $30. However, used copies of the books should be easy to find, and there are copies of the complete book online for free. There are also plenty of commentaries and study guides, which you may find useful. For our first meeting, we will cover §1- §133.

This is not a long book, but it is also not an easy one. Wittgenstein has a rather idiosyncratic method of presenting his arguments, listing them as a series of aphorisms rather than logically segmenting them into chapters, and using interlocutors to argue with himself, sometimes making the point he wants to offer confusing. But then, the MISF Philosophy Study Group can also be happily idiosyncratic and confusing, but we always manage to muddle through.

Curt