Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Lectures 1930-32 (student notes)' and 'On the Law of War'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these texts

display all the ideas for this combination of texts

---

2 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / d. Philosophy as puzzles

18704	Philosophy tries to be rid of certain intellectual puzzles, irrelevant to daily life [Wittgenstein]
	Full Idea: Philosophy is the attempt to be rid of a particular kind of puzzlement. This 'philosophical' puzzlement is one of the intellect and not of instinct. Philosophical puzzles are irrelevant to our every-day life.
	From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Lectures 1930-32 (student notes) [1931], A I.1)
	A reaction: All enquiry begins with puzzles, and they are cured by explanations, which result in understanding. In that sense he is right. I entirely disagree that the puzzles are irrelevant to daily life.

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 7. Despair over Philosophy

18710	Philosophers express puzzlement, but don't clearly state the puzzle [Wittgenstein]
	Full Idea: Philosophers as 'Why?' and 'What?' without knowing clearly what their questions are. They are expressing a feeling of mental uneasiness.
	From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Lectures 1930-32 (student notes) [1931], B I.1)
	A reaction: He suggests it is childish to express puzzlement, instead of asking for precise information. How odd. All enquiries start with vague puzzlement, which gradually comes into focus, or else is abandoned.