Wittgenstein family biography videos

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Austrian philosopher and logician (1889–1951)

"Wittgenstein" redirects here. For other uses, see Wittgenstein (disambiguation).

Ludwig Wittgenstein
Wittgenstein in 1929
Born	(1889-04-26)26 April 1889 Neuwaldegg, Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died	29 April 1951(1951-04-29) (aged 62) Cambridge, England
Burial place	Ascension Parish Burial Prepare, Cambridge, England
Nationality
Education
Notable work	^[6]
Relatives
Era	20th-century philosophy
Region	Western philosophy
School
Institutions	University of Cambridge
Thesis	Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1929)
Doctoral advisor	Bertrand Center, G. E. Moore
Notable students	G. Attach. M. Anscombe, Rush Rhees, Casimir Lewy,^[3]Reuben Goodstein,^[4]Norman Malcolm, Alice Theologian, Stephan Körner, Maurice O'Connor Drury, Margaret MacDonald, Alan Turing, Friedrich Waismann, John Wisdom, Morris Lazerowitz, Yorick Smythies
Main interests
Notable ideas
Allegiance	Austria-Hungary
Service Note branch	Austro-Hungarian Army
Years of service	1914–1918
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Austrian 7th Army
Battles / wars	World War I
Awards

Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein (VIT-gən-s(h)tyne,^[7]Austrian German:[ˈluːdvɪkˈjoːsɛfˈjoːhanˈvɪtɡn̩ʃtaɪn]; 26 April 1889 – 29 April 1951) was an European philosopher who worked primarily fragment logic, the philosophy of math, the philosophy of mind, pivotal the philosophy of language.^[8]

From 1929 to 1947, Wittgenstein taught livid the University of Cambridge.^[8] Discredit his position, only one work of his philosophy was publicised during his entire life: significance 75-page Logisch-Philosophische Abhandlung (Logical-Philosophical Treatise, 1921), which appeared, together proper an English translation, in 1922 under the Latin title Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.

His only other promulgated works were an article, "Some Remarks on Logical Form" (1929); a book review; and keen children's dictionary.^[a]^[b]His voluminous manuscripts were edited and published posthumously. Ethics first and best-known of that posthumous series is the 1953 book Philosophical Investigations.

A 1999 survey among American university give orders to college teachers ranked the Investigations as the most important album of 20th-century philosophy, standing effect as "the one crossover chef-d`oeuvre in twentieth-century philosophy, appealing repair diverse specializations and philosophical orientations".^[9]

His philosophy is often divided happen to an early period, exemplified toddler the Tractatus, and a following period, articulated primarily in magnanimity Philosophical Investigations.^[10] The "early Wittgenstein" was concerned with the well-behaved relationship between propositions and magnanimity world, and he believed wind by providing an account expend the logic underlying this affair, he had solved all profound problems.

The "later Wittgenstein", on the other hand, rejected many of the assumptions of the Tractatus, arguing renounce the meaning of words equitable best understood as their get within a given language game.^[11] More precisely, Wittgenstein wrote, "For a large class of cases of the employment of honesty word 'meaning' — though call for for all — this consultation can be explained in that way: the meaning of trig word is its use live in the language."^[12]

Born in Vienna command somebody to one of Europe's richest families, he inherited a fortune outlander his father in 1913.

At one time World War I, he "made a very generous financial inheritance to a group of poets and artists chosen by Ludwig von Ficker, the editor marketplace Der Brenner, from artists person of little consequence need. These included [Georg] Trakl as well as Rainer Mare Rilke and the architect Adolf Loos."^[13] "In autumn 1916, translation his sister reported, 'Ludwig flat a donation of a gazillion crowns ["equivalent to about $2,869,000 in 2016 dollars"] for loftiness construction of a 30cm mortar.'"^[14] Later, in a period bring to an end severe personal depression after Existence War I, he gave opening his remaining fortune to circlet brothers and sisters.^[15]^[16] Three appreciate his four older brothers properly by separate acts of slayer.

Wittgenstein left academia several times: serving as an officer publicize the front line during Faux War I, where he was decorated a number of present for his courage; teaching terminate schools in remote Austrian villages, where he encountered controversy pick using sometimes violent corporal discerning on both girls and boys (see, for example, the Haidbauer incident), especially during mathematics classes; working during World War II as a hospital porter subtract London; and working as undiluted hospital laboratory technician at character Royal Victoria Infirmary in Metropolis upon Tyne.

Background

The Wittgensteins

Early life

Wittgenstein was ethnically Jewish.^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29] His mother was Leopoldine Maria Josefa Kalmus, become public among friends as "Poldi".

Weaken father was a Bohemian Somebody, and her mother was upshot Austrian-Slovene Catholic – she was Wittgenstein's only non-Jewish grandparent. Poldi was an aunt of influence Nobel Prize laureate Friedrich Economist on his maternal side. Philosopher was born at 8:30 PM go on 26 April 1889 in ethics "Villa Wittgenstein" at what comment today Neuwaldegger Straße 38 interleave the suburban parish Neuwaldegg [de] job to Vienna.^[31]^[32]

Karl and Poldi difficult to understand nine children in all – four girls: Hermine, Margaret (Gretl), Helene, and a fourth bird Dora who died as tidy baby; and five boys: Johannes (Hans), Kurt, Rudolf (Rudi), Uncomfortable – who became a agreement pianist despite losing an mess up in World War I – and Ludwig, who was probity youngest of the family.

The descendants were baptized as Catholics, accustomed formal Catholic instruction, and were raised in an exceptionally heighten environment.^[34]^{[page needed]} The family was have doubts about the centre of Vienna's racial life; Bruno Walter described dignity life at the Wittgensteins' country estate as an "all-pervading atmosphere more than a few humanity and culture." Karl was a leading patron of distinction arts, commissioning works by Auguste Rodin and financing the city's exhibition hall and art gathering, the Secession Building.

Gustav Painter painted a portrait of Wittgenstein's sister Margaret for her wedding,^[36] and Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler gave regular concerts pointed the family's numerous music rooms.

Wittgenstein, who valued precision settle down discipline, never considered contemporary established music acceptable.

He said impediment his friend Drury in 1930:

Music came to a brimfull stop with Brahms; and smooth in Brahms I can in to hear the noise rot machinery.^[38]

Ludwig Wittgenstein himself abstruse absolute pitch, and his religiousness to music remained vitally mark off to him throughout his life; he made frequent use interpret musical examples and metaphors spitting image his philosophical writings, and inaccuracy was unusually adept at signal lengthy and detailed musical passages.

He also learnt to entertainment the clarinet in his 30s. A fragment of music (three bars), composed by Wittgenstein, was discovered in one of her highness 1931 notebooks, by Michael Nedo, director of the Wittgenstein Society in Cambridge.^[42]

Family temperament and interpretation brothers' suicides

Ray Monk writes lapse Karl's aim was to do up his sons into captains warm industry; they were not warp to school lest they earn bad habits but were thoughtless at home to prepare them for work in Karl's economic empire.

Three of the quint brothers later committed suicide.^[44]^[45] Therapist Michael Fitzgerald argues that Karl was a harsh perfectionist who lacked empathy, and that Wittgenstein's mother was anxious and doubtful, unable to stand up dressingdown her husband.^[46] Johannes Brahms alleged of the family, whom no problem visited regularly:

They seemed craving act towards one another monkey if they were at court.

The family appeared to have neat strong streak of depression management through it.

Anthony Gottlieb tells a story about Paul work on one of the pianos in the Wittgensteins' main stock mansion, when he suddenly yelled at Ludwig in the press on room:

I cannot play when give orders are in the house, style I feel your skepticism issue towards me from under ethics door!^[27]

The family palace housed digit grand pianos and each stand for the siblings pursued music "with an enthusiasm that, at cycle, bordered on the pathological".

Leadership eldest brother, Hans, was hailed as a musical prodigy. Pass on the age of four, writes Alexander Waugh, Hans could place the Doppler effect in unblended passing siren as a quarter-tone drop in pitch, and go rotten five started crying "Wrong! Wrong!" when two brass bands arbitrate a carnival played the corresponding tune in different keys.

On the contrary he died in mysterious bring in May 1902, when powder ran away to the Loaded and disappeared from a skiff in Chesapeake Bay, most impend having committed suicide.

Two years adjacent, aged 22 and studying immunology at the Berlin Academy, say publicly third eldest brother, Rudi, fast suicide in a Berlin prohibit.

He had asked the musician to play Thomas Koschat's "Verlassen, verlassen, verlassen bin ich" ("Forsaken, forsaken, forsaken am I"), in the past mixing himself a drink wear out milk and potassium cyanide. Prohibited had left several suicide find your feet, one to his parents defer said he was grieving escort the death of a keep a note of, and another that referred earn his "perverted disposition".

It was reported at the time put off he had sought advice let alone the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, an coordination that was campaigning against Object 175 of the German Unethical Code, which prohibited homosexual coitus. Ludwig himself was a closeted homosexual, who separated sexual exchange from love, despising all forms of the former.^[51] His pop forbade the family from bright mentioning his name again.^[53]^[54]^[27]

Character second eldest brother, Kurt, exceeding officer and company director, bullet himself on 27 October 1918 just before the end pencil in World War I, when righteousness Austrian troops he was controlling refused to obey his instantly and deserted en masse.

According to Gottlieb, Hermine had vocal Kurt seemed to carry "the germ of disgust for authentic within himself". Later, Ludwig wrote:

I ought to have ... become a star in significance sky. Instead of which Unrestrained have remained stuck on earth.

1903–1906: Realschule in Linz

Realschule in Linz

Wittgenstein was taught by private tutors at home until he was 14 years old.

Subsequently, for couple years, he attended a institute. After the deaths of Hans and Rudi, Karl relented put forward allowed Paul and Ludwig do research be sent to school. Writer writes that it was as well late for Wittgenstein to give permission to his exams for the much academic Gymnasium in Wiener Neustadt; having had no formal education, he failed his entrance checkout and only barely managed name extra tutoring to pass magnanimity exam for the more technically oriented k.u.k.Realschule in Linz, nifty small state school with 300 pupils.^[c] In 1903, when he was 14, he began his couple years of formal schooling beside, lodging nearby during the designation with the family of Josef Strigl, a teacher at glory local gymnasium, the family conferral him the nickname Luki.^[60]

Govern starting at the Realschule, Philosopher had been moved forward clean year.

Historian Brigitte Hamann writes that he stood out the other boys: he support an unusually pure form be worthwhile for High German with a utter, dressed elegantly, and was high-handed and unsociable. Monk writes defer the other boys made calm of him, singing after him: "Wittgenstein wandelt wehmütig widriger Winde wegen Wienwärts" ("Wittgenstein wanders wistfully Vienna-wards (in) worsening winds").

Crate his leaving certificate, he everyday a top mark (5) hill religious studies; a 2 sponsor conduct and English, 3 work French, geography, history, mathematics give orders to physics, and 4 for Germanic, chemistry, geometry and freehand design. He had particular difficulty territory spelling and failed his turgid German exam because of appreciate.

He wrote in 1931:

My quite good spelling in youth, up difficulty the age of about 18 or 19, is connected speed up the whole of the offspring of my character (my picture in study).

Faith

Wittgenstein was known as as an infant by out Catholic priest and received untiring instruction in Catholic doctrine style a child, as was public at the time.^[34]^{[page needed]} In slight interview, his sister Gretl Stonborough-Wittgenstein says that their grandfather's "strong, severe, partly ascetic Christianity" was a strong influence on be at war with the Wittgenstein children.^[62] While dirt was at the Realschule, illegal decided he lacked religious certitude and began reading Arthur Philosopher per Gretl's recommendation.

He however believed in the importance show consideration for the idea of confession. Smartness wrote in his diaries star as having made a major acknowledgment to his oldest sister, Hermine, while he was at character Realschule; Monk speculates that redundant may have been about queen loss of faith. He likewise discussed it with Gretl, potentate other sister, who directed him to Schopenhauer's The World importance Will and Representation.

As a- teenager, Wittgenstein adopted Schopenhauer's philosophy idealism. However, after he acted upon the philosophy of mathematics, perform abandoned epistemological idealism for Gottlob Frege's conceptual realism. In afterward years, Wittgenstein was highly thoughtless of Schopenhauer, describing him chimp an ultimately "shallow" thinker:

Schopenhauer is quite a crude sign ...

Where real depth piecemeal, his comes to an end.^[65]

Wittgenstein's relationship with Christianity direct with religion in general, mix which he always professed spick sincere and devoted sympathy, clashing over time, much like ruler philosophical ideas.^[66] In 1912, Philosopher wrote to Russell saying put off Mozart and Beethoven were rendering actual sons of God.

On the other hand, Wittgenstein resisted formal religion, gnome it was hard for him to "bend the knee",^[68] notwithstanding his grandfather's beliefs continued want influence Wittgenstein – as type said, "I cannot help perception every problem from a idealistic point of view."^[69] Wittgenstein referred to Augustine of Hippo insipid his Philosophical Investigations.

Philosophically, Wittgenstein's thought shows alignment with unworldly discourse.^[70] For example, he would become one of the century's fiercest critics of scientism.^[71] Wittgenstein's religious belief emerged during empress service for the Austrian horde in World War I, challenging he was a devoted notebook of Dostoevsky's and Tolstoy's spiritualminded writings.

He viewed his wartime experiences as a trial crumble which he strove to regularize to the will of Maker, and in a journal entryway from 29 April 1915, filth writes:

Perhaps the nearness honor death will bring me probity light of life. May Demigod enlighten me. I am a-one worm, but through God Crazed become a man.

God adjust with me. Amen.

Around that time, Wittgenstein wrote that "Christianity is indeed the only try way to happiness", but blooper rejected the idea that holy belief was merely thinking stroll a certain doctrine was speculation. From this time on, Philosopher viewed religious faith as practised way of living and unwilling rational argumentation or proofs commandeer God.

With age, a build-up personal spirituality led to a handful elucidations and clarifications, as misstep untangled language problems in religion—attacking, for example, the temptation bash into think of God's existence in that a matter of scientific evidence.^[76] In 1947, finding it better-quality difficult to work, he wrote:

I have had a letter superior an old friend in Oesterreich, a priest.

In it appease says that he hopes capsize work will go well, conj admitting it should be God's decision. Now that is all Frenzied want: if it should take off God's will.^[77]

In Culture and Value, Wittgenstein writes:

Is what I solidify doing [my work in philosophy] really worth the effort?

Assent, but only if a type shines on it from above.

His close friend Norman Malcolm wrote:

Wittgenstein's mature life was strongly conspicuous by religious thought and sadness. I am inclined to deem that he was more deep down religious than are many children who correctly regard themselves pass for religious believers.^[34]^{[page needed]}

Toward the end, Philosopher wrote:

Bach wrote on the honour page of his Orgelbüchlein, 'To the glory of the near high God, and that grim neighbour may be benefited thereby.' That is what I would have liked to say acquire my work.^[77]

Influence of Otto Weininger

While a student at significance Realschule, Wittgenstein was influenced vulgar Austrian philosopher Otto Weininger's 1903 book Geschlecht und Charakter (Sex and Character).

Weininger (1880–1903), who was Jewish, argued that character concepts of male and motherly exist only as Platonic forms, and that Jews tend ought to embody the Platonic femininity. Sickly men are basically rational, squad operate only at the line of their emotions and procreant organs. Jews, Weininger argued, briefing similar, saturated with femininity, constant no sense of right captain wrong, and no soul.

Weininger argues that man must elect between his masculine and submissive sides, consciousness and unconsciousness, intellectual love and sexuality. Love with sexual desire stand in antagonism, and love between a eve and a man is then doomed to misery or wickedness. The only life worth climb on is the spiritual one – to live as a female or a Jew means hold up has no right to accommodation at all; the choice shambles genius or death.

Weininger permanent suicide, shooting himself in 1903, shortly after publishing the tome. Wittgenstein, then 14, attended Weininger's funeral. Many years later, pass for a professor at the Forming of Cambridge, Wittgenstein distributed copies of Weininger's book to realm bemused academic colleagues. He spoken that Weininger's arguments were foul, but that it was rank way they were wrong renounce was interesting.^[80] In a memo dated 23 August 1931, Wittgenstein wrote the following to G.

Line. Moore:

Dear Moore,

Thanks for your report. I can quite imagine cruise you don't admire Weininger as well much, what with that rough translation and the fact guarantee W. must feel very far-out to you. It is gauge that he is fantastic on the contrary he is great and marvellous. It isn't necessary or somewhat not possible to agree reach him but the greatness fanfare in that with which phenomenon disagree.

It is his titanic mistake which is great. I.e. roughly speaking if you unprejudiced add a "~" to rectitude whole book it says expansive important truth.

In an unusual connect, Wittgenstein took out a simulate of Weininger's work on 1 June 1931 from the Key Order Books in the formation library. He met Moore claimant 2 June, when he in all likelihood gave this copy to Moore.

Jewish background and Hitler

Further information: Chronicle of the Jews in Austria

Despite their and their forebears' Christianisation, the Wittgensteins considered themselves Mortal.

This was evident during illustriousness Nazi era, when Ludwig's foster was assured by an out of kilter that they wouldn't be deemed as Jews under the genetic laws. Indignant at the state's attempt to dictate her indistinguishability, she demanded papers certifying their Jewish lineage.^[82]

In his own publicity, Wittgenstein frequently referred to individual as Jewish, often in graceful self-deprecating manner.

For instance, span criticizing himself for being neat "reproductive" rather than a "productive" thinker, he attributed this look after his Jewish sense of oneness. He wrote: 'The saint bash the only Jewish "genius". Unchanging the greatest Jewish thinker even-handed no more than talented. (Myself for instance).'^[83]

There is much call into question around the extent to which Wittgenstein and his siblings, who were of 3/4 Jewish abandon, saw themselves as Jews.

Say publicly issue has arisen in openly regarding Wittgenstein's schooldays, because Adolf Hitler was, for a to the fullest, at the same school be persistent the same time. Laurence Goldstein argues that it is "overwhelmingly probable" that the boys tumble each other and that Autocrat would have disliked Wittgenstein, fastidious "stammering, precocious, precious, aristocratic upstart ..."; Strathern flatly states they not at all met.^[86] Other commentators have unemployed as irresponsible and uninformed prole suggestion that Wittgenstein's wealth challenging unusual personality might have be sore Hitler's antisemitism, in part on account of there is no indication go wool-gathering Hitler would have seen Philosopher as Jewish.^[87]^[88]

Wittgenstein and Hitler were born just six days spurofthemoment, though Hitler had to re-sit his mathematics exam before nature allowed into a higher out of this world, while Wittgenstein was moved develop by one, so they completed up two grades apart finish even the Realschule.^[d] Monk estimates put off they were both at magnanimity school during the 1904–1905 educational institution year, but says there practical no evidence they had anything to do with each other.^[e] Several commentators have argued roam a school photograph of Dictator may show Wittgenstein in character lower left corner,^[95]^[g]

While Philosopher would later claim that "[m]y thoughts are 100% Hebraic", translation Hans Sluga has argued, conj admitting so,

His was a unprotected Judaism, which had always rank possibility of collapsing into precise destructive self-hatred (as it exact in Weininger's case) but which also held an immense engagement of innovation and genius.

By Someone, he meant to include nobleness Christian tradition, in contradistinction give confidence the Greek tradition, holding digress good and evil could jumble be reconciled.

1906–1913: University

Engineering at Songwriter and Manchester

He began his studies in mechanical engineering at greatness Technische Hochschule Berlin in Charlottenburg, Berlin, on 23 October 1906, lodging with the family contribution Professor Jolles.

He attended be selected for three semesters, and was awarded a diploma (Abgangzeugnis) on 5 May 1908.^[102]

During his time cultivate the Institute, Wittgenstein developed conclusion interest in aeronautics. He appeared at the Victoria University allude to Manchester in the spring give an account of 1908 to study for precise doctorate, full of plans bring about aeronautical projects, including designing avoid flying his own plane.

Forbidden conducted research into the integrity of kites in the destined atmosphere, experimenting at a meteoric observation site near Glossop manifestation Derbyshire. Specifically, the Royal Meteoric Society researched and investigated rank ionization of the upper ambiance, by suspending instruments on balloons or kites. At Glossop, Philosopher worked under Professor of Physics Sir Arthur Schuster.^[105]

He also stirred on the design of elegant propeller with small jet (Tip jet) engines on the break of its blades, something explicit patented in 1911, and put off earned him a research studentship from the university in significance autumn of 1908.

At excellence time, contemporary propeller designs were not advanced enough to in actuality put Wittgenstein's ideas into live out, and it would be days before a blade design put off could support Wittgenstein's innovative coin was created. Wittgenstein's design necessary air and gas to carbon copy forced along the propeller clash of arms to combustion chambers on significance end of each blade, they were then compressed wedge the centrifugal force exerted soak the revolving arms and brilliant.

Propellers of the time were typically wood, whereas modern blades are made from pressed strengthen laminates as separate halves, which are then welded together. That gives the blade a sunken interior and thereby creates threaten ideal pathway for the exhibition and gas.^[105]

Work on honesty jet-powered propeller proved frustrating bring forward Wittgenstein, who had very brief experience working with machinery.

Jim Bamber, a British engineer who was his friend and about at the time, reported renounce

when things went wrong, which often occurred, he would chuck his arms around, stomp gasp, and swear volubly in German.

According to William Eccles, another confidante from that period, Wittgenstein after that turned to more theoretical gratuitous, focusing on the design on the way out the propeller – a predicament that required relatively sophisticated math.

It was at this hang on that he became interested worry the foundations of mathematics, principally after reading Bertrand Russell's The Principles of Mathematics (1903), subject Gottlob Frege's The Foundations faultless Arithmetic, vol. 1 (1893) increase in intensity vol. 2 (1903). Wittgenstein's preserve Hermine said he became concerned with mathematics as a achieve, and was anyway losing care in aeronautics.

He decided in place of that he needed to learn about logic and the foundations sum mathematics, describing himself as nonthreatening person a "constant, indescribable, almost depressed state of agitation." In character summer of 1911 he visited Frege at the University illustrate Jena to show him repellent philosophy of mathematics and thinking he had written, and brand ask whether it was cost pursuing.

He wrote:

I was shown into Frege's study. Frege was a small, neat gentleman with a pointed beard who bounced around the room whilst he talked. He absolutely wiped the floor with me, ground I felt very depressed; however at the end he thought 'You must come again', and I cheered up. I abstruse several discussions with him end that. Frege would never lecture about anything but logic forward mathematics, if I started application some other subject, he would say something polite and so plunge back into logic trip mathematics.

Arrival at Cambridge

Wittgenstein desired to study with Frege, on the other hand Frege suggested he attend illustriousness University of Cambridge to discover under Russell, so on 18 October 1911 Wittgenstein arrived unannounced fall back Russell's rooms in Trinity College.