Universität Wien

180194 SE Wittgenstein Philosophical Investigations (2023S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

ACHTUNG!! Der Termin am 12.06.2023 muss leider entfallen

Monday 06.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 20.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 27.03. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 17.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 24.04. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 08.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 15.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 22.05. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 05.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 19.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228
Monday 26.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 2i NIG 2.Stock C0228

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This is an introductory seminar to Wittgenstein’s PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS. We will concentrate on paragraphs 1 to 268 and primarily discuss the problem of rule-following, Wittgenstein’s private language argument, and the idea of language games.
We will make use of Wittgensteins NACHLASS (literary remains), particularly Ms 142 and Ms 166, available via wittgensteinsource.org.
To partly re-create the method Wittgenstein used to develop his ideas, students will keep a Learning Journal and note their development throughout the seminar. One of our concerns will be the question what it means to interpret a philosophical text.

Students are confronted with central topics of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s late philosophy of language and learn to develop independent questions and positions on these. Practical work with Wittgenstein’s electronic ‘Nachlass’ and preparation for writing an actual symposium paper are positive learning goals of this seminar. Regular engagement with the primary text using a learning journal kept by all participants provides will provide the basis for habitual writing and build the starting point for our weekly discussions.

Method: Preparatory reading of selected essays and sections from the PI, joint weekly discussions in class. Guidance to writing a seminar thesis.

IMPORTANT: The format of the written seminar paper corresponds to the specifications that apply to a lecture submitted to the International Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg am Wechsel: max. length of 2,500 words (including abstract and references), lecture duration max. 30 minutes. Students are also encouraged to adhere to the formal requirements for a real-life symposium submission.

Assessment and permitted materials

Regular attendance at our discussions and your oral participation in them are required. The performance assessment is based on the evaluation of your written and oral participation.

Your active participation in class discussions is part of your final grade, you will be expected to hand in two short written papers or produce an audio/video podcast. On top of this each student must keep a ‘Lernjournal’ (reading notes and commentaries in form of an evolving Learning Journal) and is expected to write a final seminar paper as outlined above.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The minimum requirements for a positive grade are: Submission of two short pieces of work (excerpt/commentary) by the scheduled deadlines in the semester, regular keeping of a learning journal (weekly submission as PDF in Moodle) and submission of a short SE work by the end of September (at the latest). A podcast (as a film or radio podcast) replaces both, excerpt and commentary. The learning diary is to be kept by all participants and also partly forms the basis of our discussions.

Assessment standard:
Excerpt and commentary can score 7 points each. The learning diary is assessed with 36 points. The SE paper can receive a maximum of 50 points. These written sub-performances count for 70 % of the semester grade, 30 % is made up of your active participation in the discussions.

Examination topics

This is a seminar, thus no final exam. You will be required to read and work with the texts supplied via Moodle. Most of our discussions will be based on the reading list below.

Reading list

Gebauer, Gunter (2009): Wittgensteins anthropologisches Denken. München: C.H. Beck.
Raatzsch, Richard (2003): Eigentlich Seltsames: Wittgensteins PHILOSOPHISCHE UNTERSUCHUNGEN. Band 1: Einleitung und Kommentar PU 1-64. Paderborn: Schöningh.
Stern, David G. (2004): Wittgenstein’s PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATIONS. An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1984): Tractatus logico philosophicus/Tagebücher 1914-1916/Philosophische Untersuchungen (= Werkausgabe Band 1). Frankfurt a. Main: Suhrkamp.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 12.06.2023 11:27