Wittgenstein in 90 Minutes by Paul Strathern

Wittgenstein in 90 Minutes by Paul Strathern

If we accept Wittgenstein's word for it, Paul Strathern writes, "he is the last philosopher. In his view, philosophy in the traditional sense was finished."

In Wittgenstein in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Wittgenstein's life and ideas and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world.

Amazon review:

Strathern proides the gist of both of Wittgenstein's philosophies along with biographical information and historical background. W. came of a prominent family (Brahms was a frequent dinner guest and, of course, provided after dinner music); he went to school with Hitler, though the two never met as Hitler was kept back a grade. W. knew nothing whatever about philosophy until he was in his twenties, and after writing the book that he claimed ended philosophy, he decided to become a monk. The monk at the gate of his chosen monastery was offensively rude, however, so he chose to become a village schoolteacher instead. Later he returned to philosophy and reworked his ideas. Having been converted to Christianity by reading a book of Tolstoy's, he was determined to live an austere life, and was considerably irritated when he inherited a fortune, which he gave to his family.

Strathern relates these anecdotes in an easy, conversational style, occasionally sticking in sarcastic little comments. The book is a model of clarity and great fun to read; its only drawback is that it is too short; it does exactly what it sets out to do--give a brief introduction to W. The reader is left wanting to know more about the man and especially about his ideas. And that, of course, is really no drawback.