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Wittgenstein's Vienna
by Allan Janik, Stephen Toulmin
4.07 Rating Details 250 Ratings 27 Reviews
This is a remarkable book about a man (perhaps the most important and original
philosopher of our age), a society (the corrupt Austro-Hungarian Empire on the
eve of dissolution), and a city (Vienna, with its fin-de siecle gaiety and
corrosive melancholy). The central figure in this study of a crumbling society
that gave birth to the modern world is Wittgenstein, the ...more
Paperback, 315 pages
Published September 1st 1996 by Ivan R. Dee Publisher (first published 1973)
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Lists with This Book
The Man Without Qualities by Robert MusilFin-de-Sicle Vienna by Carl E.
SchorskeThe Age of Insight by Eric R. KandelA Nervous Splendor by Frederic
MortonSchubert and His Vienna by Charles Osborne
Vienna/Wien
104th out of 200 books 132 voters
Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig WittgensteinTractatus
Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig WittgensteinWittgenstein in Exile by James C.
KlaggePublic and Private Occasions by Ludwig WittgensteinPhilosophical Occasions
by Ludwig Wittgenstein
Wittgenstein
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11th out of 12 books 6 voters
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
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James Curcio
May 24, 2013
James Curcio rated it it was amazing
It is somewhat of a surprise to me, but this may be one of my favorite works of
philosophy. The reason why is simple: Wittgenstein's Vienna studies the thought
of a particular individual not just on its apparent ground, but also, and
possibly more fundamentally, within the context of the culture and history in
which it arose. This is something that should be done with many of the thinkers
and artists of days past, but Wittgenstein in particular almost demands this
treatment.
The proof of this is given in how much he has been misunderstood.
Let me give an example:
"A whole generation of disciples was able to take Wittgenstein as a positivist,
because he has something of enormous importance in common with the positivists:
he draws the line between what we can speak about and what we must remain silent
about just as they do. The difference is only that they have nothing to be
silent about. Positivism holds--and this is the essence--that what we can speak
about is all that matters in life. Wittgenstein passionately believes that all
that really matters in human life is precisely what, in his view, we must remain
silent about!" - Paul Engelmann.
I think it has more to do with my stance than some great intellect or anything
that my initial reading of the Tractatus -- which in detail I barely understood
upon first reading -- is in fact what Wittgenstein had intended, and precisely
what many smarter and more famous individuals than myself had completely
misunderstood. The last section of the book, which people like Russell though
was a sort of throwaway addendum, is in fact the very heart of the matter. And
W's later work (touched on in the posthumous Discourses) is not so much a
departure from his earlier thought as a clarification about language, which does
throw a serious curveball in regard to the demarcation between
that-which-can-be-spoken and that-which-must-be-passed-over-in-silence.
The Tractutus, in other words, is essentially not a work on logic and language,
but rather a work on ethics/value/meaning. This thesis is presented very well in
Janik and Toulmin's book, and their methodology is such that it wound up being
one of the central books in our first investigation of myth, "The Immanence of
Myth." (Weaponized.)
(less)
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5 likes Like see review
Anders Hjortshj
Jul 16, 2014
Anders Hjortshj rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: Kumar Ramanathan
This is an engrossing and original account of scientific and cultural life in
late-Habsburg Vienna, hard to put down even when the concepts are particularly
tricky. The authors' main idea is that the philosophy of Wittgenstein, both in
its early and late incarnations, has been misunderstood because seen through the
lens of the British analytic tradition. Thus, Wittgenstein is better understood
as a typical pre-WWI Viennese, deeply concerned with topics such as integrity in
a world of falsehoods ...more
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3 likes Like see review
Matthew W
Jun 26, 2010
Matthew W rated it really liked it review of another edition
Although a lot people don't seem to see the value of a book like Wittgenstein's
Vienna, it is fortunate books like it exist.
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What are the roots of modern racial Antisemitism? That German fellow Johann
Andreas Eisenmenger apparently did a swell job exposing the Talmud as a
hate-book, but what about hatred of those with Jewish blood?
It seems that Vienna, Austria was essentially the Jewish capital of Europe.
Apparently, Vienna was also the capital of modern day intellectual Antisemitism.
The only ...more
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2 likes Like see review
James Klagge
Jan 12, 2014
James Klagge rated it it was amazing review of another edition
Shelves: philosophy, history
I first read Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (TLP) in a class in
1975. In 1976-77 I undertook to compile what I called a "Cultural-Historical
Introduction to Wittgenstein's Tractatus." But I soon discovered that this book
had been published in 1973, accomplishing most all of what I had wanted to do,
only far better. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the TLP.
This is about the 4th time I've read the book, but I am only now listing it in
Goodreads b/c my listings ...more
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1 like Like see review
thecrx
Oct 15, 2008
thecrx rated it it was ok
Shelves: gave-up
If, like me, you have insomnia, and Ambien doesn't work, and Trazodone doesn't
work, and Sonata doesn't work, perhaps you'll want to try this book.
It has "the true scholastic stink"--the authors aren't content to state
something once; they prefer to state it five times, and heap the sentiment with
additional adverbs and adjectives at every pass. Cause adverbs add authority and
precision, right? Ha ha.
The subject matter interests me and is relevant to my work, and I hoped to gain
some knowledge ...more
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1 like Like see review
R. Shurmer
Aug 04, 2012
R. Shurmer rated it really liked it
Shelves: western-history-and-philosophy
Great stuff - intellectual history that's pretty heavy on the philosophical
conundrums of the age. Prepare yourself for heavy doses of Kant, Schopenhauer,
and Kierkegaard, as well as Wittgenstein.
flag
1 like Like see review
Rune
Nov 27, 2016
Rune rated it liked it
If I had read this book when i bought it, I believe I would have enjoyed it
more. I bought it when I studied philosophy five years ago...
flag
Like see review
Stephen Case
Jan 09, 2016
Stephen Case rated it liked it
Shelves: foundations-of-math
Wittgenstein is a name that looms large on the landscape of twentieth-century
philosophy, and one day Ill get around to actually reading his work. For now
though, Im still dancing around the edges. Ive written about Logicomix before
as a creative introduction to the mathematical and philosophical scene in which
Wittgenstein appeared, and about a year ago that led me to an excellent
biography on Wittgenstein. This latest book on the philosopher, which had come
up several times before in refere ...more
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Connor Brown
Sep 22, 2016
Connor Brown rated it it was amazing
Not only do Janik and Toulmin have an incredible depth and breadth of knowledge,
but they are bold and relentlessly methodical in putting it together; They're
equally at home discussing the shift from seven tone to twelve tone composition,
the replacement of artificially baroque architecture with functional spaces, the
emergence of "internally mapped" axiomatic systems vs historical explanations of
scientific enterprise, poetic expression, journalistic styles and rivalries...
and deftly charting ...more
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Like see review
Mario
Nov 01, 2014
Mario rated it liked it review of another edition
Shelves: philosophy
"Wittgenstein passionately believes that all that really matters in human
life is precisely what, in his view, we must be silent about."

The book argues that the themes of Wittgenstein's Tractatus are connected to a
larger body of discourse which preoccupied fin de sicle Viennese intellectuals.
The first five chapters outlines the intellectual milieu of Vienna--the
controversies as well as innovations in political theory, art, music,
architecture and science. Every idea and theory mentioned in ...more
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Like see review
Wilkin Beall
Jan 19, 2015
Wilkin Beall rated it liked it
this book is best for some background on the remarkable era before the first
world war in Vienna. Details such as the housing shortage in the city and the
chronic sanitation problem is helpful. The first chapter on karl kraus is clear
as well. What is not so clear is the middle of the book where the authors
struggle, unsuccessfully to crystalize the development of the preeminent
philosopher of the 20th Century. No one assumes that would be easy but it is
almost as if the authors are too ...more
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Like see review
Paul Blaney
Mar 05, 2013
Paul Blaney rated it really liked it
I was looking for a good cultural history of fin de siecle Vienna. This wasn't
it, but I persevered. A dense and challenging read, like taking your brain to
the gym, but rewarding too.
The central argument is that Wittgenstein and the philosophical questions he
undertook were in part a product of late-Hapsburg Viennese society. And that
misunderstanding of Wittgenstein, by for example the logical positivists, was
partly due to a failure to see the man and his work within their proper
historical ...more
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James
Aug 06, 2007
James rated it really liked it
Recommended for people who do not judge books by covers. The one in this picture
is for a different edition; I can only find one picture of mine online, here
[http://www.bookthug.ca/miva/graphics/...]
It's tiny, but trust me: it is an Atari version of the Taj Mahal with a
Wall-Street-Journal-style portrait of Wittgenstein, with space invaders on the
side! To add a touch of class!
Post-reading-less-superficial review: the cover remains the most remarkable
thing about this book. The real point of it ...more
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Like see review
Chris
Aug 28, 2016
Chris rated it it was amazing
What stuck with me in this cultural gloss of Wittgenstein's philosophy is the
notion of a philosophical "phase space", or simply the limits of language and,
therefore, philosophy. Using the logical formalism of Russell, Wittgenstein
characterizes the "possible states" of philosophical propositions, and argues
that rigorous ethical propositions are impossible. An incredibly engaging read,
it is surprising how interconnected this cultural milieu was: Wittgenstein off
to study with Boltzmann when ...more
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DoctorM
Oct 25, 2010
DoctorM rated it really liked it
Shelves: eastern-europe, philosophy, history-and-historiography
A classic look at the social life and intellectual circles of Vienna at the end
of the Habsburg era. While I think Toulmin overstates any air of crisis (he
knows 1914 will happen, the cafe debaters of, say, 1910 don't), he does manage
to catch the atmosphere of a city whose thinkers are producing much of what will
come to be modern thought and art while understanding that the world around them
is dissolving.
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Like see review
Steven Fowler
Nov 02, 2012
Steven Fowler rated it really liked it
Shelves: philosophy, history-anthropology, wittgenstein
Wittgenstein's own writings are far from lucid prose by the standards of the
English speaking community. Janik and Toulmin offer an excellent introduction to
the cultural milieu that helped shape that thought thereby providing the English
speaking reader an excellent backdrop to help decipher the meaning in
Wittgenstein's own thoughts.
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Like see review
Geoffrey Rose
Nov 30, 2012
Geoffrey Rose rated it liked it
The thesis isn't always convincing but this is well done cultural and
intellectual history.
An interesting, fun read that places Wittgenstein's theories in their
appropriate historical context.
Recommended for any interested in fin de siecle Vienna.
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Like see review
B
Jan 20, 2016
B rated it really liked it
Shelves: philosophy
Dense, original, insightful. Towards the end it loses its purpose. Otherwise,
extraordinary chiefly for its discussion of the ideals of the revolutionaries of
modernism, many of whom were Austrian born and raised; oftentimes I was more
interested in Loos more than I was in Wittgenstein!
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Like see review
Rafael Julivert
Nov 27, 2015
Rafael Julivert rated it really liked it
Aviso a lectores noveles de filosofa : Ms que tratar de Viena este es un libro
filosfico (de filosofa) y hay que leerlo "de corrido" como si se escuchara
msica sin detenerse en los conceptos que se entienden ms alla de la frase que
se est leyendo.
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Like see review
David Markwell
Feb 08, 2016
David Markwell rated it really liked it
An interesting look at Wittgenstein and the Vienna that he grew up in. Places
the Ttractatus into a tradition of Viennese thought which I was completely
unaware of. A good read for anyone interested in Wittgenstein as a philosopher
and a human being.
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Like see review
Mohadese
Dec 23, 2014
Mohadese rated it liked it
????? ??????? ? ????????? ?? ?????????? ????? ???? ?? ????? ????. ? ????????? ??
????? ?? ???? ????? ????. ??? ??? ?? ??. ??? ?? ???? ????? ?????????? ????!
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Lysergius
Jan 21, 2013
Lysergius rated it really liked it
Shelves: history
Fabulous book which sets Wittgenstein and the Tractatus against fin-de-siecle
Vienna. An essential conjunction.
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Nastja
Nastja
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May 14, 2011
Frederik Hougaard
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Jun 02, 2012
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Tian
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Oct 03, 2012
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Sep 12, 2007
Richard
Richard
rated it it was amazing
Feb 26, 2015
Joel Lesinski
Joel Lesinski
rated it it was amazing
Feb 23, 2013
Hilal Yavuz
Hilal Yavuz
rated it liked it
Jan 18, 2011
Carola Perla
Carola Perla
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Jul 12, 2013
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