Fin de siecle Vienna was once memorably described by Karl Kraus as
a "proving ground for the destruction of the world." In the decades
leading to the World War that brought down the Austro-Hungarian
empire, the city was at once an operetta dream world masking social
and political problems and tension, as well as a center for the
far-reaching explorations and innovations in music, art, science,
and philosophy that would help to define modernity. One of the most
powerful critiques of the retreat into fantasy was that of the
philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose early career in Vienna has
helped frame debates about ethical and aesthetic values in culture.
In Wittgenstein's Vienna Revisited Allan Janik expands upon his
work Wittgenstein's Vienna (co-authored with Stephen Toulmin) to
amplify a number of significant points concerning the genesis of
Wittgenstein's thought, the nature of Viennese culture, and
criticism of contemporary culture. Although Wittgenstein is the
central figure in this volume, Janik places considerable emphasis
on other influential figures, both Viennese and non-Viennese, in
order to break down some of the persistent stereotypes about the
philosopher and his surrounding culture, especially the myths of
"carefree" Vienna and Wittgenstein the positivist. The persistence
of these myths, in Janik's view, stems in part from the inability
of many historians to differentiate past from present in the
evaluation of intellectual currents. Janik reviews a number of
figures overlooked in assessing Wittgenstein: Otto Weininger,
Kraus, Schoenberg, Nietzsche, Wagner, Ibsen, Offenbach, and Georg
Trakl. All of these, Janik demonstrates, are absolutely necessary
to understand what was at stake in the debates on aestheticism and
the critique of a modern culture. Wittgenstein's efforts to
recognize the limits of thought and language and thus to be fair to
science, religion, and art account for his place of honor among
critical modernists. These essays elucidate Wittgenstein's
perspective on our culture.
General
Imprint: |
Routledge
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
April 2018 |
First published: |
2001 |
Authors: |
Allan Janik
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 28mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
287 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-138-51799-8 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
Philosophy >
General
Books >
Philosophy >
General
|
LSN: |
1-138-51799-2 |
Barcode: |
9781138517998 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!