PHV120en Ludwig Wittgenstein: An introduction to his philosophy

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2020
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. Dr. phil. Jakub Mácha, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. Dr. phil. Jakub Mácha, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Fri 14:00–15:40 D22
Prerequisites
basic familiarity with English language
the course is suitable for exchange students
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 28 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of this course is to provide a very basic introduction into Wittgenstein's major works: the Tractatus Logico-philosophicus and the Philosophical Investigations. Moreover, some other topics as epistemic certainty and philosophy of art will be briefly discussed.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course students should be able to understand basic tenets of Ludwig Wittgenstein's thinking.
Syllabus
  • Life and work
  • Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
  • - Ontology
  • - The picture theory
  • - Logic
  • Philosophical Investigations
  • Style and method
  • - Critique of the Augustinian conception of language
  • - Rule-following
  • - Private language
  • - Inner and outer
  • - Aspect seeing
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussion, guest lectures
Assessment methods
oral exam, class attendance (max two missed classes)
combined students can give a presentation (and prepare a handout) instead of class attendance
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Teacher's information
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, http://people.umass.edu/phil335-klement-2/tlp/tlp.pdf

Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, The German text, with an English translation by G. E. M. Anscombe, P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, revised 4th edition by P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. [Use this translation/edition.]

James Conant, “The Method of the Tractatus”. In Reck, E. G. ed., From Frege to Wittgenstein, Perspectives on Early Analytic Philosophy. Oxford University Press, 2002.

Marie McGinn, Elucidating the Tractatus: Wittgenstein's Early Philosophy of Logic and Language, Oxford University Press, 2006.

Michael Morris, Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Wittgenstein and the Tractatus, Routledge, 2008.

Marie McGinn, Wittgenstein and the Philosophical Investigations, Routledge, 1997. [Good as the first introduction for students]

David Stern, Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2004. [More demanding than McGinn’s introduction]

Stephen Mulhall, Wittgenstein’s Private Language: Grammar, Nonsense, and Imagination in Philosophical Investigations §§243–315, Oxford University Press, 2006. [An innovative, but somehow controversial reading of the private language argument]

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