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Wittgenstein in Swansea

Philosophy and Legacy

Editor(s) Alan Sandry

Paperback - £19.99

Language: English

Genre(s): Philosophy

May 2025 · 256 pages ·216x138mm

· Paperback - 9781837722259
· eBook - pdf - 9781837722266
· eBook - epub - 9781837722273

About the Book
Endorsements
Contents
About the Editor(s)

This volume covers aspects of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s time in Swansea between 1942 and 1947. It considers his interaction with Rush Rhees, his stimulus for the Swansea School, and his broader influence on students, academics and a plethora of writers from a range of disciplines and interests. The contributors view Wittgenstein’s philosophy and legacy from different perspectives, which include explanations and assessments of Wittgenstein’s time and work at Swansea; historical and cultural scene setting; analyses of the Swansea School; literary comparisons; ideological evaluations; and a range of intimate reflections and commentaries. The volume editor additionally offers some psychogeographical observations in consideration of Wittgenstein’s present-day significance to Swansea.

‘As someone drawn to study philosophy in Swansea because of its distinctive take on Wittgenstein, I am delighted that the Swansea School, having passed away, is now achieving some visibility. This is in no small part thanks to Alan Sandry, who has brought into being this book which so interestingly offers a multi-faceted window onto this aspect of Welsh and British recent philosophical history.'

Professor Tariq Modood, FBA, University of Bristol

‘When it comes to Wittgenstein, I keep asking myself whether one can truly grasp Wittgenstein´s world of thoughts without having a profound knowledge of physics, mathematics and logic. And to what extent can biographical data help us to better understand this cosmos? Read this book to find out.’

Dr. Waltraud Dennhardt-Herzog, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum London

Acknowledgements
Preface
Chapter 1 - Wittgenstein : The Swansea Years, 1942-1947 by Ray Monk
Chapter 2  - The Cultural Milieu of Swansea in the 1930s and 1940s by Jeff Towns
Chapter 3 - The Place of Swansea on the Road to Philosophical Investigations by Jonathan Smith
Chapter 4 - ‘It’s good to be away from Cambridge & to be here, & among friendly people.’ – Wittgenstein’s letters to Ben Richards and his philosophical work in Swansea by Alfred Schmidt
Chapter 5 – The ‘Swansea School’ by Mario von der Ruhr
Chapter 6 - JR Jones and Wittgenstein: Resisting the Demise of the Welsh-language ‘Neighbourhood’ by Huw Williams
Chapter 7 - Wittgenstein, Communitarianism, and Welsh Cultural-Linguistic Identity by Rhianwen Daniel
Chapter 8 - ‘Change and decay in all around I see’: The Wittgenstein School of English at Swansea by M. Wynn Thomas
Chapter 9 - Strange Country: The Cosmopolitan Particularism of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Ralph Ellison by Daniel G. Williams
Chapter 10 - The Psychogeography of Swansea as a Stimulus for Wittgenstein’s Cerebration by Alan Sandry
Chapter 11 – Wittgenstein, Rhees and Philosophy: James Kelman in conversation
Chapter 12 - Family Recollections of Wittgenstein in Swansea by Jamie Bill
Wittgenstein’s Swansea Legacy and Contemporary Relevance: Afterword by Alan Sandry
Bibliography

Author(s): Alan Sandry

Alan Sandry is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Strategy at Swansea University.