Publications

Ever since the publication of the first edition of the Notebooks 1914–1916, the pre-Tractatus writings have largely been considered as a precious aid in the understanding of the Tractatus. They have, however, aroused relatively little interest for themselves. The view that limits the interest of these writings to what support they may give to one’s reading of the Tractatus, with the residual material being deemed of little value, is what we like to call the “teleological approach,” as it subordinates their interest to their sole role of helping us understanding the Tractatus. In this introduction to the volume, we argue that this attitude towards the pre-Tractatus writings is ill-founded and that it has been detrimental to our understanding of Wittgenstein’s early thought. A comprehensive understanding of Wittgenstein’s early thought and of its development, we argue, may only be achieved through a non-piecemeal study of these writings. We also show how chapters in this volume contribute to vindicating this approach and how they contributes to our comprehensive understanding of Wittgenstein’s early thought.

Marion, M. et Plourde, J. (2024). Introduction. Dans J. Plourde et M. Marion (dir.), Wittgenstein’s Pre-Tractatus Writings: Interpretations and Reappraisals (p. 1-20). Cham : Springer Nature Switzerland.