ABSTRACT
The Literary Wittgenstein is a stellar collection of articles relating the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) to core problems in the theory and philosophy of literature.
Amid growing recognition that Wittgenstein's philosophy has important implications for literary studies, this book brings together twenty-one articles by the most prominent figures in the field. Eighteen of the articles are published here for the first time.
The Literary Wittgenstein applies the approach of Wittgenstein to core areas of literary theory, including poetry, deconstruction, the ethical value of literature, and the nature and logic of fictional discourse. The literary dimension of Wittgenstein's own writings is also explored, such as the authorial strategy of the Tractatus, and writing and method in the Philosophical Investigations. Major literary figures discussed in the book include William Faulkner, Joseph Conrad, and Friedrich Hölderlin.
By mapping out the foundations of a new approach to literature, The Literary Wittgenstein is essential reading for anyone interested in the relevance and application of Wittgenstein's thought to literary theory, aesthetics, and the philosophy of language and logic.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |2 pages
PART I Philosophy as a kind of literature / Literature as a kind of philosophy
chapter 2|21 pages
“BUT ISN’T THE SAME AT LEAST THE SAME?”
chapter 3|20 pages
WITTGENSTEIN’S “IMPERFECT GARDEN”
chapter 4|17 pages
Restlessness and the achievement of peace: writing and method in Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations
part |2 pages
Part II READING WITH WITTGENSTEIN
chapter 8|19 pages
“The life of the sign”: Wittgenstein on reading a poem J OAC HIM SCHU LT E
chapter 9|21 pages
Wittgenstein against interpretation: “the meaning of a text does not stop short of its facts”
part |2 pages
Part III LITERATURE AND THE BOUNDARIES OF SELF AND SENSE
chapter 11|17 pages
ROTATING THE AXIS OF OUR INVESTIGATION
chapter 12|23 pages
Autobiographical consciousness: Wittgenstein, private experience, and the “inner picture” GAR RY L . H AG B E RG
chapter 14|22 pages
Wittgenstein and Faulkner’s Benjy: reflections on and of derangement RU P E RT READ
part |2 pages
Part IV FICTION AND THE TRACTATUS
chapter 15|14 pages
Facts and fiction: reflections on the Tractatus ALEX BU RRI
part |2 pages
Part V THE LARGER VIEW