The Philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein

The Philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein is a crosslisted Cognitive Science/Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies class taught by John Connolly.

Course Description
Ludwig Wittgenstein is arguably the most influential philosopher of the twentieth century. It is impossible to understand many of the philosophical movements of either the last century or this one without an appreciation of his ideas. In this course we will closely read his most important philosophical texts (Tractatus Logico-Philosphicus and Philosophical Investigations), as well as his last work, On Certainty. In addition, students will be asked to research a topic of their own choosing (e.g. philosophy of mind, skepticism, aesthetics, feminism, etc.) by exploring the literature on Wittgenstein and that topic. Prerequisites: Previous work in philosophy is highly recommended. In other cases, permission of the instructor will be required.