Abstract
“A book whose form I pictured differently at different times” (PI Preface p. ix): this is how Wittgenstein presents his Philosophical Investigations in the preface to the work. At one point, in November 1936 (FF p. 57), he decided to open the book with a long Latin quotation from Book I of the Confessions, where Augustine explains how he learned to speak: “Cum ipsi [majores homines] appellabant rem aliquam, etc.” (Conf. I.8.13). Wittgenstein comments on this passage as follows:
These words, it seems to me, give us a particular picture of the essence of human language. It is this: the individual words in language name objects – sentences are combinations of such names. – In this picture of language we find the roots of the following idea: Every word has a meaning. This meaning is correlated with the word. It is the object for which the word stands. (PI §1)
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Notes
- 1.
I would like to express my gratitude to Olivier Putois, at the University of Bordeaux, for correcting a first draft of this paper and to Marjorie Curry Woods, my former colleague at the Institute for Advanced Study, for her very valuable suggestions.
- 2.
- 3.
See Spiegelberg H. (1979) p. 319.
- 4.
“The works of great masters are suns which rise and set around us.” (CV p. 15e)
- 5.
Quoted in Rhees (1949) p. 168.
- 6.
Stern (2002) pp. 440–441.
- 7.
De genesi contra manichaeos II, 20, 30.
- 8.
See Augustine De magistro, 13, 41–44. On the paradox of the Liar, see Augustine Contra Cresconium, II, 18, 23.
- 9.
On this epigraph, see Stern (2002) pp. 427 sq.
- 10.
See Stock (2005) p. 250.
- 11.
For a wittgensteinian reading of Augustine Conf. I.8.13, see Narboux (2004).
- 12.
- 13.
Malcolm (1958) p. 71.
- 14.
See Wittgenstein, Schriften, vol. 5, Frankfurt, Suhrkamp, 1970, p. 117.
- 15.
See Glock (1996) p. 42.
- 16.
- 17.
Stern (2002) p. 439.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
Spiegelberg (1979) pp. 324–325.
- 21.
It would be interesting to examine whether Wittgenstein’s copy of the Confessions displays markings or marginalia. Unfortunately, Spiegelberg’s attempt to find this book, which was bequeathed to Rush Rhees with Wittgenstein’s library, remained unsuccessful. See Spiegelberg (1979) pp. 320–321.
- 22.
On Wittgenstein on time, see Perrin (2007).
- 23.
Fogelin (1996).
- 24.
Fogelin (1996) p. 37.
- 25.
See Hintikka and Hintikka (1986).
- 26.
Baker and Hacker (1980) p. 45.
- 27.
Wittgenstein AWL p. 46. See also PG II 19.
- 28.
Glock (1996) p. 195.
- 29.
According to Drury, Wittgenstein thought of choosing as an epigraph for the Philosophical Investigations a quotation from King Lear: “I’ll teach you differences” (see Fann 1967 p. 69). Contrary to what Baker and Hacker say (see Baker and Hacker 1980 p. 18), the phrase does appear in the play (I, 4), spoken by Kent.
- 30.
Wittgenstein VW F89 p. 69 note 101.
- 31.
Ibid.
- 32.
Reading adde orationi (Keil, and Bonnet in his edition in the “Guillaume Budé” Series) instead of adeo rationi (Weber).
- 33.
Ars breviata, VII, 2, ed. Weber, Marburg, 1861.
- 34.
McEvoy (1984).
- 35.
McEvoy’s translation, in McEvoy (1984) p. 569.
- 36.
McEvoy (1984) p. 569.
- 37.
O’Daly (1987) p. 160. O’Daly adds that Augustine’s view seems to be substantially the same as Locke’s: “We cannot keep by us any standing, unvarying measure of duration, which consists in a constant, fleeting succession, as we can of certain lengths of extension, as inches, feet, yards, etc., marked out in permanent parcels of matter” (Locke 1961 I p. 151).
- 38.
See McEvoy (1984) p. 570.
- 39.
See Bermon (2007) pp. 319–342.
- 40.
Burnyeat (1999) p. 300.
- 41.
Stern (2002) p. 441.
- 42.
Augustine De vera relig. 24, 45.
Bibliography
Works by Augustine
Confessions: Confessiones, ed. Verheijen, Turnhout: Brepols, 1981 (CCSL 27).
Against Cresconius: Contra Cresconium, ed. Petschenig, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1909 (CSEL 52).
On Genesis against the Manichees: De Genesi contra Manichaeos, ed. D. Weber, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1998 (CSEL 91).
Grammatical Manual: Ars breviata, ed. G. Bonnet in Abrégé de la grammaire de saint Augustin, Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 2013.
Revisions: Retractationes, ed. A. Mutzenbecher, Turnhout: Brepols, 1984 (CCSL 57).
On the Teacher: De magistro, ed. K.-D. Daur, Turnhout: Brepols, 1970 (CCSL 29).
On True Religion: De vera religione, ed J. Martin, Turnhout: Brepols, 1962 (CCSL 32).
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Bermon, E. (2017). Wittgenstein Reads Augustine. In: Bermon, E., Narboux, JP. (eds) Finding One’s Way Through Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations. Nordic Wittgenstein Studies, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63507-1_2
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