Ludwig Wittgenstein: Personal Writings

Research project P 14395 Ludwig Wittgenstein: Personal Writings Allan JANIK 26.6.2000 1. Formulation of the Problem/The State of Research: a) We proceed from the thesis that Wittgenstein`s notebooks, as they have come down to us or can be reconstructed, represent a distinct sort of text within his corpus, in which Wittgenstein`s distinctive personal mode of thinking is expressed. b) This thesis can be extended as follows: Wittgenstein`s notebooks both in terms of their .content and their author`s intention stand in an intimate relation to other of his writings, in particular to his "Lecture on Ethics" and to certain aspects of his correspondence, which cries out for a precise presentation. The presentation in question should be achieved in the context of the project on the basis of a parallel edition of representative texts of different literary type from within Wittgenstein`s corpus with a view to elucidating the neglected "existential" dimension of Wittgenstein`s unique mode of thinking. c) It can be shown that in Wittgenstein studies to date the texts in question have received short shrift either by being relegated to the purely philosophical or the purely biographical sphere without taking cognizance of their unique form and content. 2) The Goals of the Project Preparation of all notebooks written during World War I for publication (in both book form and electronically): The philosophical notebooks written between 1914 and 1916 have never been published together with the personal remarks written parallel to them. Their publication together with commentary facilitates a direct comparison between Wittgenstein`s explicitly philosophical and his "existential" modes of thinking. Preparation of all three versions of the Lecture on Ethics of 1929for publication (in both book and electronic form): The decidedly personal character of this work can be ascertained on the basis of the development of the text as well as the pragmatics of the lecture situation. Preparation of a comprehensive edition of Wittgenstein`s correspondence with Paul Engelmann expanded on the basis of several essays: This new edition of Wittgenstein`s correspondence with Engelmann includes for the first time Engelmann`s letters to Wittgenstein as well as previously unpublished essays by Engelmann. It illuminates Wittgenstein`s peculiar modes of treating his friends as well as his personal convictions. Completion of project Nr. 12928-SOZ: Miscellaneous complimentarV materials to the Wittgenstein notebooks from the philosophical papers: We shall endeavor further to develop our distinction between the philosophical and the 11 existential" dimensions to Wittgenstein`s distinctive modes of thinking and writing on the basis of the previously mentioned textual typology by isolating genuine notebook extracts in other of Wittgenstein`s works. Concentrated presentation of the results gleaned from the aforesaid editions with respect to the peculiarities of Wittgenstein`s personal mode of thinking. 3. Methods: As in the "Denkbewegungen" all of Wittgenstein`s texts, with the exception of the correspondence with Engelmann, will be transcribed according to the Norwegian MECS system (multi-element code system). The commentary will be presented on the basis of a modified version of the methods developed in the project "Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Complete Correspondence" on the basis of the program "Folio Views". In addition analytical, typographical and pragmatic methods for describing texts will also be employed.

The aim of the project has consisted in research on Ludwig Wittgenstein`s so-called personal writings with a view to preparing them for publication. These writings can be distinguished from his philosophical texts by their content, style and tone. In this project they comprise Wittgenstein`s diaries written between 1914 and 1917, his letters to Paul Engelmann and his Lecture on Ethics, in which his personal outlook on ethical and religious questions is expressed. Apart from these works, diaries written by Wittgenstein`s friend Ludwig Hänsel were included in the project. These diaries in which Hänsel records his discussions with Wittgenstein on literary, philosophical and religious matters, have provided considerable information for the commentary on Wittgenstein`s texts. First, the texts had to be decoded and transcribed. Second, a scientific commentary had to be written - on the one hand referring to individual passages of the text, on the other hand in form of essays illuminating specific topics. The transcription of the coded parts of Wittgenstein`s diaries written during the first World War - MS 101, MS 102 and MS 103 - are now integrated in the machine-readable version of Wittgenstein`s Nachlass and thus published in the Bergen Electronic Edition. The same applies to MS 139b, one of the versions of Wittgenstein`s Lecture on Ethics, which was found in the literary estate of Rudolf Koder. For the book-edition of the war-time diaries a complete edition of both the philosophical and the personal parts is planned - permission of the Wittgenstein trustees pending. Paul Engelmann`s Ludwig Wittgenstein. Briefe und Begegnungen (ed. Brian McGuinness, 1970) will now be presented in an extended version, including Engelmann`s letters to Wittgenstein and a collection of more of his notes in memory of Wittgenstein. The volume is to appear by Haymon-Verlag in the beginnings of 2003. Apart from her scientific work on Wittgenstein`s personal writings mentioned above, Ilse Somavilla has held lectures and written a number of essays relevant to the topic of her research work.