ABSTRACT

07/15: presentation of chapters 1 and 2 of the book

07/16: chapters 3 and 4

In the preface to the Tractatus Logico-philosophicus, Wittgenstein expresses the conviction that he has essentially solved philosophical problems. Such boldness or presumption, even after a hundred years of its publication, still leaves readers dumbfounded. We shall see, following the chapters of Reading Wittgenstein's Tractatus, that Wittgenstein's audacity was founded on two points: the clear determination of the nature of logic and the invention of a new philosophical model. The objective of the course will be to understand them and relate them to the ethical meaning of the book. First, we will discuss various interpretations of the book throughout history. Next, based on Russell's philosophy, we will try to understand the role of the so-called 'ontology' of the Tractatus. Afterwards, we will seek to clarify the structure of the book and the role of logic. Finally, we will deal with the dissolution of the philosophical problems and the ethical sense of the book.
It is suggested that course participants are familiar with elementary logic and the works of Frege and Russell.