How To Read Wittgenstein Notes

1. Believed philosophy not to be a science but an activity to seek truth and clarity amongst complexities brought about by the “bewitchments” of bad language. As a result, philosophy is not a doctrine but rather a practice to resolve confusion that exists because of “man made” complexities.

2. His critique of the science of logic was the only book review he wrote and published in his life and was also extremely short. He critiqued the “Science of Logic” because it made no reference to contemporary math that had been conceived, he sad that the word “is” (which was vital to the authors main point) carries multiple meanings, he said that classes are independent of relations between their members, but that, overall, the book was prejudice against sensible people.

3. Wittgenstein was unique at Cambridge because, unlike other prominent universities at the time such as Harvard or Oxford, it accepted the young twenty-something student as a philosopher rather than merely a student of philosophy. This allowed his works to be taken seriously and appreciated rather than just be considered the naive work of a newcomer.

Revisiting Aescetics

Have you ever listened to a song that brought back a specific moment in time? Nostalgia? Childhood?

“Jump Up Behind Me”- My father beckoned me into our living room in Islamabad, Pakistan, and told both my twin sister and I to sit on a wooden bench and listen. Our Dad loved to stop at certain objects to teach us information about things. Isabel and I sat in awe a he explained the elements that compose a song: rhythm, melody, harmony, beat. He told us to tap our feet every other beat, to gain a sense of the instruments playing.

It’s funny how these moments in time really make me appreicate my father. I might complain about him, but so much of my knowledge comes from his desire to spread what he has learned. It’s so easy to gloss over these small details that make things beautiful. The song “Jump Up Behind Me” came on shuffle the other day, and Isabel and I looked at each other, nodding, silently acknowledging the happiness and nostalgia that it arises in both of us. I listen to it and hum to the beat. When I play this song, I forget all of the trivial things that bother me on a daily basis. It’s nice to retrn to pure serenity. “It felt like a festival and it felt like Christmas morning.” Thank you James 🙂