Ludwig Wittgenstein. The Whewell´s Court Lectures 1937-47.

The goal of this project is the scientific edition of hitherto unpublished lecture notes of lectures held by Ludwig Wittgenstein. The notes were taken down by Yorick Smythies, a student and very close friend of Wittgenstein until the end of his life. Smythies is already known for his notes published as A Lecture on Freedom of the Will in 1989 as well as for the Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious Belief and Wittgenstein`s Lectures on the Foundations of Mathematics. According to Smythies, the notes cover the period between 1937 and 1947. Similarities with the published lectures and the fact the Smythies studied in Cambrigde between October 1935 and June 1939 sustain the assumption that the large part covers the academic years 1935/36-1939/40 (particularly 1938-1940). The material is of high interest for Wittgenstein scholarship because no other notes from that period are known to exist (except the above mentioned). A comparison of Wittgenstein`s own writings with the lecture notes will open new scientific opportunities, by e.g. making explicit what issues Wittgenstein regarded most important at that time. The notes exist in various stages: First, the stenographical version taken down immediately during the lectures. Based on these notes, Smythies compiled different handwritten fair copies. Finally, he prepared different typescripts and taped versions, which are, however, full of mistakes, missing words and hole sentences. The typescripts are in possession of Volker A. Munz who also owns the copyrights for publication. Trinity College Cambridge has already given its permission by also guaranteeing its full support. The goal of the project is to generate a final text that shall guaranty the closest similarity to the original notes that were taken down during the lectures. Therefore the original notes have been chosen as the primary source of the editorial process. The proposal will consider various forms of editorial types as well as the different genres of publication (printed and electronic forms).

The goal of this project is the scientific edition of hitherto unpublished lecture notes of lectures held by Ludwig Wittgenstein. The notes were taken down by Yorick Smythies, a student and very close friend of Wittgenstein until the end of his life. Smythies is already known for his notes published as A Lecture on Freedom of the Will in 1989 as well as for the Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious Belief and Wittgenstein`s Lectures on the Foundations of Mathematics. According to Smythies, the notes cover the period between 1937 and 1947. Similarities with the published lectures and the fact the Smythies studied in Cambrigde between October 1935 and June 1939 sustain the assumption that the large part covers the academic years 1935/36-1939/40 (particularly 1938-1940). The material is of high interest for Wittgenstein scholarship because no other notes from that period are known to exist (except the above mentioned). A comparison of Wittgenstein`s own writings with the lecture notes will open new scientific opportunities, by e.g. making explicit what issues Wittgenstein regarded most important at that time. The notes exist in various stages: First, the stenographical version taken down immediately during the lectures. Based on these notes, Smythies compiled different handwritten fair copies. Finally, he prepared different typescripts and taped versions, which are, however, full of mistakes, missing words and hole sentences. The typescripts are in possession of Volker A. Munz who also owns the copyrights for publication. Trinity College Cambridge has already given its permission by also guaranteeing its full support. The goal of the project is to generate a final text that shall guaranty the closest similarity to the original notes that were taken down during the lectures. Therefore the original notes have been chosen as the primary source of the editorial process. The proposal will consider various forms of editorial types as well as the different genres of publication (printed and electronic forms).