Wittgenstein in Ireland [Paperback]

Richard Wall (Author), Dr Tony Mathews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

Having visited Ireland regularly during the 1930s, Ludwig Wittgenstein resigned his Cambridge philosophy professorship in 1947 and moved there, living in a fishing village on the Atlantic coast and hotels in Dublin and the Wicklow Mountains. Although Wittgenstein spent some time out of the country, Ireland was effectively his base for three very productive years during which he worked on what would become one of his key books, the posthumously published Philosophical Investigations.

Wittgenstein in Ireland represents the first sustained account of Wittgenstein's time in Ireland, placing it in its historical context. Wall pays a good deal of attention to the representation of the Irish landscape in which the Austrian philosopher found himself able to work; a large part of his writings were produced in the bleak landscapes of Ireland and Norway.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[An] enchanting and perceptive record. . . . Wall provides an unforgettable understanding of  ''Irish Wittgenstein.'' It is a discreet jewel."--The Observer

 

 

(George Steiner The Observer )

"One of the most haunting and revealing accounts of his complex personality emerged this year in Richard Wall’s book Wittgenstein in Ireland. Wall has documented Wittgenstein’s various visits to and sojourn in Ireland and has managed to retrace Wittgenstein’s steps with remarkable fidelity. Despite the book’s comparative brevity, a picture of the man emerges which has all the idiosyncracies and textures of a full-length portrait."--Times Literary Supplement

 

 

(Times Literary Supplement )

About the Author

Richard Wall is a writer, painter, designer and photographer based in Austria. His most recent publication is HerzAsphaltMörderGrubenRhapsodie (1997).

Product Details

• Paperback: 202 pages
• Publisher: Reaktion Books (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 186189077X
• ISBN-13: 978-1861890771
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,676,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Factual but Ineffectual, October 19, 2001

By 

Douglis Beck (StL, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wittgenstein in Ireland (Paperback)

While the author presents many of the facts of Wittgenstein's visits to Ireland (many of them culled from Monk's bio), he makes little effort to DO anything with them. Wittgenstein's fascination with both Norway and Ireland as places of solitude for him to accomplish "real work" is a significant influence on his philosophy. It is a shame that a book of such promise fails to deliver. (But, as with the other review, still necessary for the completist).

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars NOT SURE EXACTLY WHO THIS IS FOR, February 18, 2001

By 

William Meisel (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wittgenstein in Ireland (Paperback)

but the idea appealed to me so I bought it. The author (not a philosopher) went to Ireland and essentially followed Wittgenstein's (50 year old)footsteps while there. He took a lot of pictures to help you see the views that Wittgenstein saw but most of his biographical information comes from Monks DUTY OF GENIUS and Rhees RECOLLECTIONS OF WITTGENSTEIN. He comes across a few people who remember the strange English philosopher but no stories that make this worth its price. An insane Wittgenstein completist like myself probably couldn't resist buying this, but perhaps you should.