Phil 426: Twentieth-Century Philosophy
Fall term 2026
This course approaches twentieth-century philosophy through a study of perhaps the single most influential philosopher of the period. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was born in Vienna but spent most of his philosophical career in Cambridge, England. His work is typically divided into “early” and “later” periods, each associated with a key text: the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, first published in 1921, and the Philosophical Investigations, published two years after Wittgenstein’s death. Wittgenstein's first book played a key role in the foundation of both logical empiricism and early analytic philosophy, while his later philosophy helped to inspire ordinary language philosophy (amongst other things).
In the preface to the Investigations, Wittgenstein wrote that his new ideas could be seen in the right light “only by contrast with and against the background of my old way of thinking”. Taking such advice to heart, this course will briefly introduce the Investigations but then mostly focus on grappling with the Tractatus — one of the most unusual, inspiring, and difficult texts in the canon of Western philosophy.
In the preface to the Investigations, Wittgenstein wrote that his new ideas could be seen in the right light “only by contrast with and against the background of my old way of thinking”. Taking such advice to heart, this course will briefly introduce the Investigations but then mostly focus on grappling with the Tractatus — one of the most unusual, inspiring, and difficult texts in the canon of Western philosophy.
Schedule of readings
Weds 30th September — von Wright (1955), “A Biographical Sketch”; in Malcolm (2001), Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir, pp.3-20
Mon 5th October — Wittgenstein (1953) [2009], Philosophical Investigations, Preface & Part 1 — §§1-32 (pp.5-19)
Weds 7th October — Philosophical Investigations, Part 1 — §§83-130 (pp.43-56)
(Additional resource: St Augustine's discussion of the nature of time)
Mon 12th October — Mounce (1981), Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: An Introduction, “Introduction” (pp.1-15)
Weds 14th October — Wittgenstein (1921), Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Preface & 1-4.2; Mounce (1981) Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: An Introduction, pp.126-131
Mon 19th October — Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 4.2-7; Mounce (1981) Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: An Introduction, pp.131-134
Weds 21st October — Kant (1783), Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, Introduction; Russell (1945), History of Western Philosophy, “Kant” (pp.637-644)
Mon 26th October — Russell (1910), “Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description”
Weds 28th October — Russell (1913) [1984], Theory of Knowledge, Part 1 — Chapter IX (pp.97-101); Russell (1918), The Philosophy of Logical Atomism, Lecture 1 (pp.1-14)
Mon 2nd November — ** Midterm **
Weds 4th November — Pears (1987), The False Prison, §§1-2
Mon 9th November — The False Prison, §4
Weds 11th November — ** Veterans Day **
Mon 16th November — Ishiguro (1969), “Use and Reference of Names”
Weds 18th November — ** No class **
Mon 23rd November — McGuinness (1981) [2002], “The Supposed Realism of the Tractatus”
Weds 25th November — The False Prison, §5
Mon 30th November — Diamond (1988), “Throwing Away the ladder”
Weds 2nd December — Eisenthal (ms.), “Propositions as Pictures”
Mon 7th December — ** Review **
Weds 9th December — ** Final **
Mon 5th October — Wittgenstein (1953) [2009], Philosophical Investigations, Preface & Part 1 — §§1-32 (pp.5-19)
Weds 7th October — Philosophical Investigations, Part 1 — §§83-130 (pp.43-56)
(Additional resource: St Augustine's discussion of the nature of time)
Mon 12th October — Mounce (1981), Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: An Introduction, “Introduction” (pp.1-15)
Weds 14th October — Wittgenstein (1921), Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Preface & 1-4.2; Mounce (1981) Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: An Introduction, pp.126-131
Mon 19th October — Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 4.2-7; Mounce (1981) Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: An Introduction, pp.131-134
Weds 21st October — Kant (1783), Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, Introduction; Russell (1945), History of Western Philosophy, “Kant” (pp.637-644)
Mon 26th October — Russell (1910), “Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description”
Weds 28th October — Russell (1913) [1984], Theory of Knowledge, Part 1 — Chapter IX (pp.97-101); Russell (1918), The Philosophy of Logical Atomism, Lecture 1 (pp.1-14)
Mon 2nd November — ** Midterm **
Weds 4th November — Pears (1987), The False Prison, §§1-2
Mon 9th November — The False Prison, §4
Weds 11th November — ** Veterans Day **
Mon 16th November — Ishiguro (1969), “Use and Reference of Names”
Weds 18th November — ** No class **
Mon 23rd November — McGuinness (1981) [2002], “The Supposed Realism of the Tractatus”
Weds 25th November — The False Prison, §5
Mon 30th November — Diamond (1988), “Throwing Away the ladder”
Weds 2nd December — Eisenthal (ms.), “Propositions as Pictures”
Mon 7th December — ** Review **
Weds 9th December — ** Final **