A read-thru: Wittgenstein's Blue Book (Sense-Datum, OLP Method)

Antony Nickles

@Banno @Sam26 @Paine @Ludwig V @Jamal @Manuel @Astrophel @Joshs @Kurt Keefner

I’m inviting anyone to join me in (any part of) a read-through of Wittgenstein’s Blue Book lecture--a copy is available here. He says it is concerned with: “…the grammar of those words which describe what are called ‘mental activities’: seeing, hearing, feeling, etc. And this comes to the same as saying that we are concerned with the grammar of 'phrases describing sense data'.” (P.70) (By "grammar" I take him to mean that seeing how the descriptions work is his method.) This can be an easier way into the slant of the Philosophical Investigations, and I see it as a followup to the read-through that this Forum did (here) of J.L. Austin's Sense and Sensibilia (also about sense-data), and there may be talk of both.

However, I ask that we stick to understanding the writing through textual evidence rather than just offering ungrounded opinion or general discussion. Anyone may begin the next section with a reading, but we don’t want to get too far ahead if there is still discussion on an early section.

I recommend skipping the preface. I propose these sections (though this will be fluid): Meaning 1-5; Mind Problem 6-10; Rules 11-15; Generality 12-20; Two Criteria 21-25; Strictness & Grammar 26-30; Existence & Intending 31-35; Shadow & Connection 36-40; Analogies & Temptations 41-45; Mind & Matter 46-50; Place & Possibility of Pain 51-55; Real Seeing 56-60; My Sight 61-65; Exceptional Function 66-70; Sense Data 71-74

Joshs

↪Antony Nickles

Thanks. Looking forward to it.

Antony Nickles

As mentioned, I am going to put together a reading of the first section that I will post after Nov 5.

Ludwig V

Thanks for setting this up. I'm looking forward to it.

Manuel

↪Antony Nickles

That may well be interesting. I'll be sure to read some and give my opinion and/or ask for feedback, etc.

fdrake

I won't participate, probably, but I will watch the thread like a hawk to ensure it stays textual if you like @Antony Nickles. If you're leading the group and want assistance keeping this on topic, please PM me regarding any poster who isn't being sufficiently textual/exegetical and I'll come in and examine. Any actions I take to keep things on topic wouldn't be seen as formal mod actions or warnings etc, it would just be to keep something that could be very excellent indeed very on topic.

Antony Nickles

@Banno @Sam26 @Paine @Ludwig V @Jamal @Manuel @Astrophel @Joshs @Kurt Keefner

Since sense data (what Witt takes as “feeling, hearing, seeing” p.1) is not a simple philosophy-101 idea, I feel I should offer a brief overview (outside the text, so without defense, to be taken or left).

The idea and framework come from something very old and fundamental in philosophy: skepticism.

For Descartes it came from doubt; in response he divided everything into reality and ‘representation’. “…the things which are represented to us in sleep are like painted representations which can only have been formed as the counterparts of something real and true…” (1st Med, p.7)

Plato pictured a “shadow” (Republic ln. 515) to save the possibility of something true in comparison.

Ayer’s idea of ‘perception’ is that the world always appears different (we read Austin's response here).

and Kant internalized into each of us the paranoia that ‘appearances’ “to every different eye, in respect of its colour, …may appear different.” (Crit. Of Pure Reason §§4).

‘Sense data’ is an amalgamation of all these constructions.

A read-thru: Wittgenstein's Blue Book (Sense-Datum, OLP Method)

Welcome to The Philosophy Forum!

Categories

More Discussions