PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

Wittgenstein and the languages of art

Reading and writing on Frazer, Wittgenstein is advocating a new pattern for philosophical analysis, one that arises from its comparison with anthropological and esthetical models. The observations on Frazer's "Golden Bough", the series of remarks in his personal notebooks, dictated for “The Early Big Typescript” (TS 211) and dropped in the "Big Typescript" (TS 213), his lectures in Cambridge offer an ideal space wherein to try to clarify differences and analogies between the exemplarity of esthetical and ethical judgments on the one hand, and historical-anthropological descriptions on the other. We will discuss Wittgenstein's aim to free his reader from captivity to normative definitions, to restitute a morphology of cultural forms and immanence of linguistic communication. We will examine issues connecting philosophy of language, aesthetics and anthropology. The end in mind for this course is to find different answers to the questions raised by the parallelism between philosophy and languages of art.

The course acquaints the student with the main theme of languages of art in Wittgenstein’s later work.
On successful completion of this module, he will be able to:
1. critically engage with Wittgenstein arguments, criticizing and organizing arguments
2. distinguish dimensions relevant to the Wittgenstein Philosophy of Language and language of different arts
3. organizing arguments amongst philosophy of language and philosophy of culture

The course is designed for students in whom philosophical and artistic interests are interrelated.
Attendance requirement: attend all (or all but two) of the lectures.

The course will consider the interrelated subjects of languages of art, anthropology, and philosophical method in Wittgenstein. It will be devoted to a close reading of “Remarks on Frazer's «Golden Bough»”, together with selected parts of “Lectures and Conversations” and "Culture and Value. Issues and questions: 1) morphology and synopsis; 2) “perspicuous representation”; 3) description and expression; 4) point of view and intentionality; 5) aesthetic and ethical judgments. Readings will include texts by Wittgenstein's interpreters. Special emphasis will be placed on different languages art.

Ludwig Wittgenstein:

- «Note sul “Ramo d’oro” di Frazer», trad. it. di S. De Waal, con un saggio di J. Bouveresse, Adelphi
- «Causa ed effetto», seguito da «Lezioni sulla libertà del volere», a cura di A. Voltolini, Einaudi
- «Lezioni 1930-1932. Dagli appunti di John King e Desmond Lee», Adelphi
- «Lezioni e conversazioni sull’estetica, la psicologia e la credenza religiosa», Adelphi

F.L. Gottlob Frege:

- «Il pensiero. Una ricerca logica», in Id. «Ricerche logiche», a cura di M. Dummett, Guerini e Associati, pp. 43-74
- «Appunti per Ludwig Darmstaedter», in Id. «Scritti postumi», a cura di H. Hermes, F. Kambartel, F. Kaulbach, Bilbiopolis

Altri testi in programma d'esame. Passi scelti da:

- A. Shopenhauer, «Il mondo come volontà e rappresentazione», Mondadori
- F. Nietzsche, «Su verità e menzogna in senso extra-morale», Adelphi
- «Vostro fratello Ludwig. Lettere alla famiglia 1908-1951», a cura di B. F. McGuinness, M. C. Asher, O. Pfersmann, Archinto
- «Lettere di Ludwig Wittgenstein: con ricordi di Paul Engelmann»; prefazione di Josef Schächter; appendice di Brian F. McGuinness, La Nuova Italia
- «Wittgenstein in Cambridge. Letters and Documents 1911-1951», a cura di B.F.McGuinness, Blackwell
- A.G. Gargani, «Il coraggio di essere. Saggio sulla cultura mitteleuropea», Laterza

Written/oral examination:

- Paper (5-7 pages): 40 %
- Partecipation: 20%
- Oral exam: 40%

The main teaching method of the course is the lecture, the lecture-discussion, and the seminar. Every student will be encouraged to participate in the discussion of the materials (small group seminars and presentations).

Italian

Additional readings for students not attending at lectures:

- J. Bouveresse, «Filosofia, mitologia e pseudo-scienza», Einaudi 1997

- C. Rofena, «Wittgenstein e l'errore di Frazer. Etica morfologica ed estetica antropologica», Mimesis 2011

Other matherials (english texts) may be found online. I will make them electronically available (Moodle material).

written and oral