4th Ludwig Wittgenstein Summer School 2012 (Hans Sluga, David G. Stern)

1st – 4th August 2012
Kirchberg am Wechsel / Lower Austria

Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Blue Book, pp.1-44

With:
Hans SLUGA (Berkeley)
David G. STERN (Iowa City)

Scientific Organization: Volker MUNZ (Klagenfurt, ALWS)

Impressions of the participants on this summer school can be read here.

Reading List

Primary Text
(1) Wittgenstein, Blue Book, pp. 1-44

Secondary Readings
There exists only a limited secondary literature specifically devoted to the Blue Book – though the literature on topics raised in that work is extensive. Here is a concise list.
Studies of the Blue Book:
(2) Rush Rhees, “Preface,” in (1)
(3) O. K. Bouwsma, “The Blue Book,” Journal of Philosophy, vol. 58, 1961, pp. 141-162.
(4) Hans Sluga, “Wittgensteins Blaues Buch,” Proceedings of the 10th International Wittgenstein Symposium, 1985
The Middle Wittgenstein:
(5) Anthony Kenny, Wittgenstein.  Chs 8 & 9 “Understanding, Thinking and Meaning” & “Language-Games.”
(6) David Stern, “The ‘Middle Wittgenstein.’ From Logical Atomism to Practical Holism,” Synthese, vol. 87, 1991, pp. 203-226.
(7) Ray Monk, Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius. Ch. 16 “Language Games: The Blue and Brown Books.”
(8) Mark Addis, Wittgenstein: A Guide for the Perplexed ch. 4 “The Middle Period”.  Continuum, 2006.
Topics in the Blue Book:
(9) Hans Sluga, Wittgenstein, ch. 4 “The Prodigious Diversity of Language Games”
(10) Renford Bambrough, “Universals and family Resemblance,” in George Pitcher, (ed.) Wittgenstein: The Philosophical Investigations.
(11) Hans Sluga, Wittgenstein, ch. 5, “Families and Resemblances”
(12) Rogers Albritton, “On Wittgenstein’s Use of the Term ‘Criterion’,” Journal of Philosophy, vol. 56, 1959, pp. 845-857.  Reprinted in Pitcher (ed.) Wittgenstein: The Philosophical Investigations, with a four-page postscript Albritton wrote in 1966.
(13) Philip W. Bennett, “Wittgenstein and Defining Criteria,” Philosophical Investigations, vol. 1, 1978, pp 49-63.
Related work by Wittgenstein from the Blue Book period:
(14) Ludwig Wittgenstein, Wittgenstein’s Lectures: Cambridge, 1932-1935. Part II.  The Yellow Book (Selected Parts) pp. 43-73.  Ed. Alice Ambrose.  U of Chicago Press, 1979.
(15) Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Grammar pp.39-196.

Maximum number of participants: 40
Required qualifications: The summer school is addressed to advanced university students in philosophy. Elementary knowledge of Wittgenstein’s philosophy is desirable. Applicants are asked to send a performance record and a 3-page preparatory essay on one or several remarks taken from The Blue Book.
Further details concerning preparation (reading list), programme, etc. will be announced.
Teaching language: English

Participants of the summerschool have given their impressions here.