Scan barcode
johntra44's review against another edition
4.0
A very good introduction to the thoughts of Wittgenstein, his Tractatus and Philosophical Investigations.
leelulah's review
5.0
I should start asking myself if there is something Wittgenstein was not interested in. Despite the rare approach to philosophy, it remains one of these twentieth century essential looks that does not fall into relativism or scientism. I am not sure of being fully equipped to read his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus or even his more accessible Philosophical Investigations, but surely Ray Monk has managed to give his readers a wider perspective.
micahwimmer's review
3.0
This subpar rating has less to do with the quality of the book itself than my own lack of understanding. After reading this book, I still am not sure I could pass a test on Wittgenstein's basic views as espoused by this book. This likely speaks more of the difficulty of Wittgenstein's thought and less about Monk's ability to write about it. This may very well be a great introduction for many, but for me, Wittgenstein's philosophy remains as impenetrable as ever.
aimiller's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
This was a really marvelous little book--it really broke down Wittengenstein's arguments and made me excited to try to actually engage with Wittgenstein's writings on my own, especially the later stuff. I think the parts explaining Wittegenstein's earlier work was not as clear to me, which I'm gonna call a me thing and not a problem with Monk's writing or explanation. The later work though felt much more clear to me through Monk's explanations, and I found the chapter on language games to be particularly helpful and interesting! I definitely feel better equipped to try to go forth and read Wittgenstein's actual works after this, which means it did its job!
untravel's review
5.0
A great book. It seems like it would be an introduction, but it's not. At least, it's not only that. Reading it feels more like having a conversation with an expert, after a conference, over a couple of beers. I wish more philosophy books were written this way.
More...