I like the story of Wittgenstein, he lived from 1889 to 1951 and was an Austrian philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language. He taught at the University of Cambridge from 1929 to 1947.

During his lifetime he didn’t publish much however his collection of manuscripts were edited and published posthumously in 1953 as a book called ‘Philosophical Investigations’. This book has subsequently been recognised as one of the most important works of philosophy in the 20th century and has been described as ‘the one crossover masterpiece in 20th century philosophy, appealing across diverse specialisations and philosophical orientations.’ He is described by Bertrand Russell, his teacher, as “perhaps the most perfect example I have ever known of genius as traditionally conceived; passionate, profound, intense and dominating.”

Wittgenstein was born in Vienna into one of Europe’s richest families and inherited a fortune in 1913. Initially he made some donations to artists and writers but then gave away his entire fortune to his brothers and sisters however three of his four brothers committed suicide. Wittgenstein also apparently considered the same fate. He left academia several times, serving as an officer on the front line in WWI earning several decorations for bravery, he taught at remote schools in Austria and also worked as a hospital porter in London during WWII. However he described philosophy as “the only work that gives me real satisfaction.”

His philosophy is often divided into an early period exemplified by the ‘Tractatus” the only book he published and a later period as identified in ‘Philosophical Investigations’. His early work was concerned with the logical relationship between propositions and the world and he believed that by providing an account of the logic underlying this relationship he had solved all philosophical problems. His later work however rejected many of his previous assumptions arguing that the meaning of words is best understood as their use within a given language-game. I like the idea that his philosophy evolved and he was prepared to change his mind.

i particularly like the following quote from his friend George Henrik von Wright, who believed “his ideas were generally misunderstood and distorted even by those who professed to be his disciples. He doubted he would be better understood in the future. He once said he felt as though he was writing for people who would think in a different way, breathe different air of life, from that of present day men.”

i guess I am drawn to Wittgenstein by the above quote. I am in no way in the same grade intellectually as him but I do often feel like a square peg in a round hole in our world and always seem to be drawn to the alternative, be it through my tastes, perspectives and opinions. I am passionate about us as humanity needing to think and organise ourselves in a different way. Wittgenstein inspires me to continue to do so.