Papers by Varja Štrajn
Academia Letters, 2022
The writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein are generally not regarded as those philosophical works that ... more The writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein are generally not regarded as those philosophical works that have much to do with ethical theory, as they are mainly committed to the philosophy of language and philosophical logic. Wittgenstein was throughout his life critical of philosophical attempts to consider ethics as a doctrine or to develop any theoretical approach to ethics. Moreover, he also objected to and was against conversing about moral issues by explaining. Wittgenstein opposed discussing anything a priori, anything of value, as such discussions lead us "running up against the limits of language" (Waismann, 1979: 68). Accordingly, philosophical talks turn out to be "mere nonsense because, in ethics, we are always attempting to say something that cannot be said, something that does not and never will touch the essence of the matter" (Waismann, 1979: 68-69). Therefore, "it is important to put an end to all the claptrap about ethics" (Waismann, 1979: 68-69), as Wittgenstein concludes in his conversation with the Vienna Circle in 1929. A year later, in a discussion with Moritz Schlick, Wittgenstein makes his views on ethics even more explicit by explaining that he would reject an explanation of ethics not because of its falsehood but due to the theoretical approach. For that reason, Wittgenstein concludes that even true theories of ethics do not interest him, as "they are without value and give him nothing" (Waismann 1979: 116-117). Wittgenstein was very critical of the philosophical discourse on ethics. Thus, he produced nothing of the kind. In truth, Wittgenstein wrote little about ethics. We can find some aphorisms in the Notebooks 1914-1916 and a few at the end of the Tractatus (TLP 6.42-6.423). Besides writing a short essay entitled A Lecture on Ethics, Wittgenstein also wrote some remarks concerning ethics in his late writings, for example, in the Philosophical Investigations (PI, I, §77, §81), Lectures and Conversations and Culture and Value. Apart from that, Wittgenstein hardly expressed any views on ethics. Hence, any philosophical analysis of Wittgenstein's
Anthropos, 2023
Although Wittgenstein did not pay too much attention to aesthetics,
which is not entirely accide... more Although Wittgenstein did not pay too much attention to aesthetics,
which is not entirely accidental, as he held the view that the nature
of aesthetics is not appropriate for abstract philosophical discussion,
art, especially music, had a paramount place in his life (Schroeder
2017). Wittgenstein’s critique of aesthetics, which is unusual for classical
philosophical discourse, ends with a finding that aesthetic questions
belong to art criticism (Schroeder 2017) rather than philosophical
theory; otherwise, they quickly end with aestheticism. It is precisely the
critique of classical philosophical theories in the field of aesthetics that
reveals the true essence of art, thereby contributing to the understanding
of culture in modern society.
Academia Letters, 2022
The writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein are generally not regarded as those philosophical works that ... more The writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein are generally not regarded as those philosophical works that have much to do with ethical theory, as they are mainly committed to the philosophy of language and philosophical logic. Wittgenstein was throughout his life critical of philosophical attempts to consider ethics as a doctrine or to develop any theoretical approach to ethics. Moreover, he also objected to and was against conversing about moral issues by explaining. Wittgenstein opposed discussing anything a priori, anything of value, as such discussions lead us "running up against the limits of language" (Waismann, 1979: 68). Accordingly, philosophical talks turn out to be "mere nonsense because, in ethics, we are always attempting to say something that cannot be said, something that does not and never will touch the essence of the matter" (Waismann, 1979: 68-69). Therefore, "it is important to put an end to all the claptrap about ethics" (Waismann, 1979: 68-69), as Wittgenstein concludes in his conversation with the Vienna Circle in 1929. A year later, in a discussion with Moritz Schlick, Wittgenstein makes his views on ethics even more explicit by explaining that he would reject an explanation of ethics not because of its falsehood but due to the theoretical approach. For that reason, Wittgenstein concludes that even true theories of ethics do not interest him, as "they are without value and give him nothing" (Waismann 1979: 116-117). Wittgenstein was very critical of the philosophical discourse on ethics. Thus, he produced nothing of the kind. In truth, Wittgenstein wrote little about ethics. We can find some aphorisms in the Notebooks 1914-1916 and a few at the end of the Tractatus (TLP 6.42-6.423). Besides writing a short essay entitled A Lecture on Ethics, Wittgenstein also wrote some remarks concerning ethics in his late writings, for example, in the Philosophical Investigations (PI, I, §77, §81), Lectures and Conversations and Culture and Value. Apart from that, Wittgenstein hardly expressed any views on ethics. Hence, any philosophical analysis of Wittgenstein's
Analiza, 2019
At the end of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus Wittgenstein realises that the purification of the ... more At the end of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus Wittgenstein realises that the purification of the natural language of all linguistic contradictions undoubtedly eliminates the inadequacies of the semantic structure of a sentence, which with its superficiality discourages us from its actual sense; however, such a sentence cannot express its thought and remains void. As the logical-analytic treatment of sentences, following from the Tractatus includes only a descriptive linguistic function, but no other functions accordingly produce a mistaken impression about the accuracy of its standpoint. The philosophy of late Wittgenstein, therefore, evolves from the conclusion that the equal treatment of different linguistic functions demands different methodology, as the analytic philosophers had presupposed at the turn of the 20th century. The speech act method as a simple language-game [Sprachspiel] enables a unified treatment of the meaning of the sentences of natural language. The paper is a representation of the speech act method in the late philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, as a search of necessary conditions of a sensible uttering.
Ob koncu Logično filozofskega traktata Wittgenstein sprevidi, da očiščenje naravnega jezika vseh jezikovnih aporij sicer res odpravi pomanjkljivosti slovnične strukturiranosti stavka, ki nas s svojo površinskostjo odvrača od njegovega pravega smisla, vendar le-ta ne zmore izraziti vsebine misli in kot čista struktura (forma) stavka ostaja prazen. Ker logično-analitična obravnava stavkov v Traktatu zajema le opisno stavčno funkcijo, ne pa tudi drugih funkcij, se na ta način ustvarja napačen videz o pravilnosti lastnih izhodišč. Filozofija poznega Wittgensteina zato izhaja iz spoznanja, da je za enakovredno obravnavo različnih stavčnih funkcij potrebna drugačna metodologija, kot so jo predvideli analitični filozofi na prelomu dvajsetega stoletja. Metoda govornih dejanj3 [speech acts], kot preproste jezikovne igre [Sprachspiel], omogoča enotnejšo obravnavo pomena stavkov naravnega jezika. Članek je predstavitev metode govornih dejanj v pozni filozofiji Ludwiga Wittgensteina, kot iskanja nujnih pogojev smiselnega izjavljanja.
Anthropos, 2017
Interpreters approach Wittgenstein's philosophy mainly in two different ways: either as a discont... more Interpreters approach Wittgenstein's philosophy mainly in two different ways: either as a discontinuity or as continuity. If the classical interpretations view Wittgenstein’s philosophy as two completely different viewpoints, which mutually exclude each other, the therapeutic interpretation, on the contrary, argues for the permanent and interconnected character of Wittgenstein’s texts.
The paper introduces the main theses for therapeutic interpretation, which looks for arguments in favour of continuity in therapy, as the common method of both early and late Wittgenstein. The paper presents and explains the reasons for the therapeutic interpretation of Tractatus, which understands the method of Tractatus as therapy rather than logical analysis of sentences. The therapeutic method acts therapeutically on the reader of Tractatus, as it brings him to a realization that philosophical problems are to be found in the metaphysical way of thinking.
![Research paper thumbnail of Štrajn, Varja (2013). ''Racionalizem kot temelj gramatične razlage jezika''. [Rationalism as the Basis of Grammatical Explanation of Language'']. Analiza 17 (4): 95 - 115. [preprint version]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/35021472/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Povzetek:
V zgodovini teorije jezika so teoretiki jezika razvili dva osnovna pristopa analize ... more Povzetek:
V zgodovini teorije jezika so teoretiki jezika razvili dva osnovna pristopa analize jezika in stavčnega pomena, ki izhajata iz srednjeveškega spora o univerzalijah in se v novem veku nadaljujeta v razpravah med empiristi in racionalisti. Gre za razprave med zagovorniki psihologizma in njihovimi nasprotniki, racionalisti, ki psihologizma niso zavračali kot povsem napačne doktrine, trdili so le, da psihologistična razlaga jezika ne zadošča za pojasnitev resničnega pomena stavkov večnih resnic. Fregejevo vprašanje o resnici matematičnih in logičnih stavkov ni v tem kontekstu torej nič drugega kot poskus razrešitve spora o objektivnosti umevanja realnosti, ki na prelomu 20. stoletja ne nastopa več kot epistemološko vprašanje, ampak kot vprašanje stavčne logike, ki predstavlja osnovo sodobne filozofije jezika. Racionalistično stališče do teorije jezika sprejema tudi Chomsky, ki postavi temelj racionalističnemu pojmovanju jezika v jezikoslovju, ki jezik razume kot biološko danost lastno človeku in ne kot napredovanje v razvoju bioloških vrst. Sestavek je predstavitev glavnih argumentov naklonjenih racionalistični interpretaciji jezika.
Ključne besede: teorija jezika, racionalizem, misel, stavek in gramatika.
Abstract:
Theorists of language developed in the history of theory of language two basic approaches to the analysis of language and sentential meaning which evolved out of the medieval problem of universals and continued in disputes between empiricists and rationalists in the Modern Times. These were the disputes between the advocates of psychologism and their opponents, the rationalists, who did not oppose psychologism as a completely erroneous doctrine but claimed that the psychologistic explanation of language does not suffice for the explanation of truthful meaning of sentences concerning eternal truths. Frege's question regarding the truthfulness of mathematical and logical sentences therefore, in this context, represents an attempt to resolve the dispute concerning the objectivity of understanding of reality which at the turn of the 20th century no longer occurs as an epistemological question but as the question of propositional logic, which presents the basis of contemporary philosophy of language. Chomsky, who provides the basis for rationalistic understanding of language in linguistics, also claims the rationalistic viewpoint and holds language to be a biologically given characteristic of humans and not a progress in the development of biological species. The composition is a presentation of the main arguments dedicated to the rationalistic interpretation of language.
Keywords: theory of language, rationalism, thought, sentence and grammar.
conference presentation by Varja Štrajn
I am giving a talk on Wittgenstein's ethical views at the 10th Annual Conference of Europe's Scie... more I am giving a talk on Wittgenstein's ethical views at the 10th Annual Conference of Europe's Sciences and Arts Leaders and Scholars: It's About People 2022: Embracing Digital Transformation for a Sustainable and Ethical Future. The online international conference will last for seven days, between 11th and 18th March 2022.
I am presenting a paper, 'Necessity of Art', at the International Ludwig Wittgenstein Symposium o... more I am presenting a paper, 'Necessity of Art', at the International Ludwig Wittgenstein Symposium organised by the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Zagreb, Croatian Logic Association and Research Centre for Logic, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Science “Berislav Žarnić” at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split. The International Ludwig Wittgenstein Symposium is organised on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and the 70th anniversary of the death of Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Language and Communication in 2021, 2021
At the Slovenian Philosophical Society invitation, I presented my paper on Wittgenstein and ethic... more At the Slovenian Philosophical Society invitation, I presented my paper on Wittgenstein and ethics as an invited speaker. I argued for philosophy's return to moral philosophy and moral life rather than committing to developing abstract ethical theories that provide us with action guidance.
On the 20th October 2021, I presented a paper at the online international conference, Wittgenstei... more On the 20th October 2021, I presented a paper at the online international conference, Wittgenstein on Culture and Civilization: Aesthetics, Ethics and Religion, hosted by the Institute of Civilization and Culture (ICK) Ljubljana, Slovenia. The conference was dedicated to Wittgenstein's views on culture and the centennial of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, published for the first time in the Annalen der Naturphilosophie in 1921.
I presented my paper on Wittgenstein, Hegel, Arthur Danto, aesthetics and digital transformation ... more I presented my paper on Wittgenstein, Hegel, Arthur Danto, aesthetics and digital transformation at the 9th Annual Conference of Europe's Sciences and Arts Leaders and Scholars: All About People 2021: Digital Transformation in Science, Education and Arts. The online international conference was held between 12th and 19th March 2021.
The paper tries to elucidate the relevance of Wittgenstein's philosophy for the understanding of ... more The paper tries to elucidate the relevance of Wittgenstein's philosophy for the understanding of the nature and use of language in different religious, particularly mystical, traditions. Its main contention is that Wittgenstein's incessant, often harrowing, struggles with the "urge to run up against the limits of language" provide important insights into the notorious problem of mystical (in)effability and thus shed fresh light on the (im)possibilities of interreligious dialogue. Specifically, it is maintained that, by articulating means of expressing the inexpressible, Wittgenstein's early and late philosophy enable us to thematize interreligious communication against the background of what might be called "enactive apophaticism". The paper proceeds in three major steps. First, drawing on the early Wittgenstein's distinction between "what can be said" and "what can be shown", it argues that language not only speaks (describes), but also acts (performs), and that it is therefore wrong to construe mystical utterances as discursive utterances, because they don't refer to the mystical, but en-act it. However, unlike ordinary performatives, which remain entrenched in the framework of meaning, mystical utterances function as absolute negative performatives in that they constitute instances of "talking non-nonsense", i.e. of un-saying the very saying. This is further elaborated in the second step where, taking recourse to later Wittgenstein, it is argued that mystical unsaying liberates the mystic from her entanglement in language games. This "showing the fly out of the bottle", however, is not to be construed as an absolute negation or transcendence of linguistic liminalities, but as embodying a way of being that enables one to live in and through language games without being imprisoned by them. Lastly, several concrete means for expressing the inexpressible are outlined (two non-linguistic and four linguistic), drawing on examples from two religious traditions: Buddhism and Christianity.
Books by Varja Štrajn
Interpreting Interreligious Relations with Wittgenstein: Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studi... more Interpreting Interreligious Relations with Wittgenstein: Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, co-edited with Daniel Weiss; Leiden: Brill (Volume 9 in Philosophy of Religion – World Religions series); 2019.
Interpreting Interreligious Relations with Wittgenstein argues that Wittgenstein’s philosophy of religion and his thought in general continue to be highly relevant for present and future research on interreligious relations. Spanning several (sub)disciplines – from philosophy of religion, philosophy of language, comparative philosophy, comparative theology, to religious studies – the contributions engage with recent developments in interpretation of Wittgenstein and those in philosophy and theology of interreligious encounter. The book shows that there is an important and under-explored potential for constructive and fruitful engagement between these academic fields. It explores, and attempts to realize, some of this potential by involving both philosophers and theologians, and critically assesses previous applications of Wittgenstein’s work in interreligious studies.
The book is a study of Wittgenstein's philosophy of language. The study is concerned primarily wi... more The book is a study of Wittgenstein's philosophy of language. The study is concerned primarily with the continuity in Wittgenstein’s philosophy and with Frege's influences on the development of Wittgenstein’s philosophical investigations.
Translations by Varja Štrajn
The book is a series of lectures Wittgenstein gave at the University of Cambridge between 1932 an... more The book is a series of lectures Wittgenstein gave at the University of Cambridge between 1932 and 1935. The author discusses the meaning of a word, negation, grammatical rules, language games, and Russell's treatment of propositions.
Knjiga je prevod Wittgensteinovih predavanj, ki jih je imel na Univerzi v Cambridgeu med leti 1932 in 1935. Autor obravnava pomen besede, negacijo, gramatična pravila, jezikovne igre in Russllove propozicije.
Anthropos: časopis za psihologijo in filozofijo ter za sodelovanje humanističnih ved, 2019
Če je za Kantovo filozofijo značilno ukvarjanje z vprašanjem o mejah spoznanja, lahko za Wittgen... more Če je za Kantovo filozofijo značilno ukvarjanje z vprašanjem o mejah spoznanja, lahko za Wittgensteina rečemo, da se je vse življenje posvečal vprašanju o naravi jezika in njegovemu razmerju do sveta. To razmerje pa ni zaznamovano le z logiko jezika, temveč je tudi etično opredeljeno, saj je etika odnos do sveta, ki zajema vsakršno misel ali govor. Vez med človekom, jezikom in svetom torej pogojujeta tako logika kot etika, ki bralcu Traktata omogočata, da vzpostavi stik med jezikom in svetom na terapevtski način.
Ključne besede: metafizika, etika, nesmiselni stavki, smisel, terapija, Traktat, Wittgenstein
If the question concerning the borderline of knowledge is characteristic for Kant's philosophy, we can claim for Wittgenstein that he devoted his life to the question concerning the nature of language and its relation to the world. Such a connection is not only marked by the logic of language, but it is also specified in terms of ethics, as the ethics present an attitude to the world, which can penetrate any thought or talk. The bond between a man, language and the world is thus conditioned with the logic as well as with ethics, which enable the reader of the Tractatus, to restore contact between the language and world therapeutically.
Keywords: metaphysics, ethics, nonsense-sentences, sense, thought (Gedanke), therapy, Tractatus, Wittgenstein
Blog Posts by Varja Štrajn
Damijan Blog, 2020
V času pandemije smo priče vsesplošnemu pozivanju k humanosti. Politiki kar tekmujejo, kdo se bo ... more V času pandemije smo priče vsesplošnemu pozivanju k humanosti. Politiki kar tekmujejo, kdo se bo bolj odločno zavzemal za humano družbo, za varovanje življenja pred ekonomijo in zaščito vseh posameznikov pred boleznijo.
In the times of pandemic, we are witnessing a general appeal for humanity. Politicians are competing among themselves who will more determinately stand up for the humankind, for protecting lives before the economy and individuals before malady.
conference organisation by Varja Štrajn
Wittgenstein on Culture and Civilisation: Aesthetics, Ethics and Religion, 2022
Ludwig Wittgenstein continues to be one of the most insightful yet controversial philosophers to ... more Ludwig Wittgenstein continues to be one of the most insightful yet controversial philosophers to this day, making significant contributions to the philosophy of language and philosophical logic. While logic, linguistic and mathematical themes have obscured the extent to which Wittgenstein was seriously engaged in the phenomenon of culture, the online international conference calls attention to Wittgenstein's significant contributions to the understanding of society and civilisation. The papers presented at the conference highlight Wittgenstein's ethics, aesthetics and religion and centre on Wittgenstein's philosophy of culture.
The conference is dedicated to Wittgenstein's understanding of culture and to "the missing part o... more The conference is dedicated to Wittgenstein's understanding of culture and to "the missing part of the Tractatus" that Wittgenstein did not write down to mark the centenary of the treatise, which was first released in 1921. One of the questions that will interest us is the connection between the first and the second part of the book and what Wittgenstein has to tell us about the meaning of life and the world we inhabit.
Invited Lecture by Varja Štrajn
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus is not a scientific treaty, as generally acknowledged, but an answ... more Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus is not a scientific treaty, as generally acknowledged, but an answer to how one should live. In this regard, we cannot overlook the influences of Leo Tolstoy on Wittgenstein's life and writings.
In the same way, as Tolstoy was searching for the true meaning of life, Wittgenstein was concerned with the same question in his early writings, namely, with the purpose of life or the world. (NB, p. 73) If Tolstoy enquired about the subject matter from a religious perspective, Wittgenstein posed the question from an ethical, aesthetic, spiritual and epistemological point of view. If religion reveals "the true meaning of life", the ethics of a happy man shows in his way of living, namely in his actions and attitudes. Accordingly, religion and ethics treat "the true meaning of life" by investigating "the meaning of the world". For Wittgenstein, ethics and religion are in close association, as they both disclose the fundamental sense of life and the world, without which human existence becomes unbearable. When "the true meaning of the world" is taken hold, despair is overcome, and one can hope to live happily.
The lecture focuses mainly on Tractarian ethics and maintains that the Tractatus is not only a philosophical writing on ethics but also a righteous deed.
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Papers by Varja Štrajn
which is not entirely accidental, as he held the view that the nature
of aesthetics is not appropriate for abstract philosophical discussion,
art, especially music, had a paramount place in his life (Schroeder
2017). Wittgenstein’s critique of aesthetics, which is unusual for classical
philosophical discourse, ends with a finding that aesthetic questions
belong to art criticism (Schroeder 2017) rather than philosophical
theory; otherwise, they quickly end with aestheticism. It is precisely the
critique of classical philosophical theories in the field of aesthetics that
reveals the true essence of art, thereby contributing to the understanding
of culture in modern society.
Ob koncu Logično filozofskega traktata Wittgenstein sprevidi, da očiščenje naravnega jezika vseh jezikovnih aporij sicer res odpravi pomanjkljivosti slovnične strukturiranosti stavka, ki nas s svojo površinskostjo odvrača od njegovega pravega smisla, vendar le-ta ne zmore izraziti vsebine misli in kot čista struktura (forma) stavka ostaja prazen. Ker logično-analitična obravnava stavkov v Traktatu zajema le opisno stavčno funkcijo, ne pa tudi drugih funkcij, se na ta način ustvarja napačen videz o pravilnosti lastnih izhodišč. Filozofija poznega Wittgensteina zato izhaja iz spoznanja, da je za enakovredno obravnavo različnih stavčnih funkcij potrebna drugačna metodologija, kot so jo predvideli analitični filozofi na prelomu dvajsetega stoletja. Metoda govornih dejanj3 [speech acts], kot preproste jezikovne igre [Sprachspiel], omogoča enotnejšo obravnavo pomena stavkov naravnega jezika. Članek je predstavitev metode govornih dejanj v pozni filozofiji Ludwiga Wittgensteina, kot iskanja nujnih pogojev smiselnega izjavljanja.
The paper introduces the main theses for therapeutic interpretation, which looks for arguments in favour of continuity in therapy, as the common method of both early and late Wittgenstein. The paper presents and explains the reasons for the therapeutic interpretation of Tractatus, which understands the method of Tractatus as therapy rather than logical analysis of sentences. The therapeutic method acts therapeutically on the reader of Tractatus, as it brings him to a realization that philosophical problems are to be found in the metaphysical way of thinking.
V zgodovini teorije jezika so teoretiki jezika razvili dva osnovna pristopa analize jezika in stavčnega pomena, ki izhajata iz srednjeveškega spora o univerzalijah in se v novem veku nadaljujeta v razpravah med empiristi in racionalisti. Gre za razprave med zagovorniki psihologizma in njihovimi nasprotniki, racionalisti, ki psihologizma niso zavračali kot povsem napačne doktrine, trdili so le, da psihologistična razlaga jezika ne zadošča za pojasnitev resničnega pomena stavkov večnih resnic. Fregejevo vprašanje o resnici matematičnih in logičnih stavkov ni v tem kontekstu torej nič drugega kot poskus razrešitve spora o objektivnosti umevanja realnosti, ki na prelomu 20. stoletja ne nastopa več kot epistemološko vprašanje, ampak kot vprašanje stavčne logike, ki predstavlja osnovo sodobne filozofije jezika. Racionalistično stališče do teorije jezika sprejema tudi Chomsky, ki postavi temelj racionalističnemu pojmovanju jezika v jezikoslovju, ki jezik razume kot biološko danost lastno človeku in ne kot napredovanje v razvoju bioloških vrst. Sestavek je predstavitev glavnih argumentov naklonjenih racionalistični interpretaciji jezika.
Ključne besede: teorija jezika, racionalizem, misel, stavek in gramatika.
Abstract:
Theorists of language developed in the history of theory of language two basic approaches to the analysis of language and sentential meaning which evolved out of the medieval problem of universals and continued in disputes between empiricists and rationalists in the Modern Times. These were the disputes between the advocates of psychologism and their opponents, the rationalists, who did not oppose psychologism as a completely erroneous doctrine but claimed that the psychologistic explanation of language does not suffice for the explanation of truthful meaning of sentences concerning eternal truths. Frege's question regarding the truthfulness of mathematical and logical sentences therefore, in this context, represents an attempt to resolve the dispute concerning the objectivity of understanding of reality which at the turn of the 20th century no longer occurs as an epistemological question but as the question of propositional logic, which presents the basis of contemporary philosophy of language. Chomsky, who provides the basis for rationalistic understanding of language in linguistics, also claims the rationalistic viewpoint and holds language to be a biologically given characteristic of humans and not a progress in the development of biological species. The composition is a presentation of the main arguments dedicated to the rationalistic interpretation of language.
Keywords: theory of language, rationalism, thought, sentence and grammar.
conference presentation by Varja Štrajn
Books by Varja Štrajn
Interpreting Interreligious Relations with Wittgenstein argues that Wittgenstein’s philosophy of religion and his thought in general continue to be highly relevant for present and future research on interreligious relations. Spanning several (sub)disciplines – from philosophy of religion, philosophy of language, comparative philosophy, comparative theology, to religious studies – the contributions engage with recent developments in interpretation of Wittgenstein and those in philosophy and theology of interreligious encounter. The book shows that there is an important and under-explored potential for constructive and fruitful engagement between these academic fields. It explores, and attempts to realize, some of this potential by involving both philosophers and theologians, and critically assesses previous applications of Wittgenstein’s work in interreligious studies.
Translations by Varja Štrajn
Knjiga je prevod Wittgensteinovih predavanj, ki jih je imel na Univerzi v Cambridgeu med leti 1932 in 1935. Autor obravnava pomen besede, negacijo, gramatična pravila, jezikovne igre in Russllove propozicije.
Ključne besede: metafizika, etika, nesmiselni stavki, smisel, terapija, Traktat, Wittgenstein
If the question concerning the borderline of knowledge is characteristic for Kant's philosophy, we can claim for Wittgenstein that he devoted his life to the question concerning the nature of language and its relation to the world. Such a connection is not only marked by the logic of language, but it is also specified in terms of ethics, as the ethics present an attitude to the world, which can penetrate any thought or talk. The bond between a man, language and the world is thus conditioned with the logic as well as with ethics, which enable the reader of the Tractatus, to restore contact between the language and world therapeutically.
Keywords: metaphysics, ethics, nonsense-sentences, sense, thought (Gedanke), therapy, Tractatus, Wittgenstein
Blog Posts by Varja Štrajn
In the times of pandemic, we are witnessing a general appeal for humanity. Politicians are competing among themselves who will more determinately stand up for the humankind, for protecting lives before the economy and individuals before malady.
conference organisation by Varja Štrajn
Invited Lecture by Varja Štrajn
In the same way, as Tolstoy was searching for the true meaning of life, Wittgenstein was concerned with the same question in his early writings, namely, with the purpose of life or the world. (NB, p. 73) If Tolstoy enquired about the subject matter from a religious perspective, Wittgenstein posed the question from an ethical, aesthetic, spiritual and epistemological point of view. If religion reveals "the true meaning of life", the ethics of a happy man shows in his way of living, namely in his actions and attitudes. Accordingly, religion and ethics treat "the true meaning of life" by investigating "the meaning of the world". For Wittgenstein, ethics and religion are in close association, as they both disclose the fundamental sense of life and the world, without which human existence becomes unbearable. When "the true meaning of the world" is taken hold, despair is overcome, and one can hope to live happily.
The lecture focuses mainly on Tractarian ethics and maintains that the Tractatus is not only a philosophical writing on ethics but also a righteous deed.
which is not entirely accidental, as he held the view that the nature
of aesthetics is not appropriate for abstract philosophical discussion,
art, especially music, had a paramount place in his life (Schroeder
2017). Wittgenstein’s critique of aesthetics, which is unusual for classical
philosophical discourse, ends with a finding that aesthetic questions
belong to art criticism (Schroeder 2017) rather than philosophical
theory; otherwise, they quickly end with aestheticism. It is precisely the
critique of classical philosophical theories in the field of aesthetics that
reveals the true essence of art, thereby contributing to the understanding
of culture in modern society.
Ob koncu Logično filozofskega traktata Wittgenstein sprevidi, da očiščenje naravnega jezika vseh jezikovnih aporij sicer res odpravi pomanjkljivosti slovnične strukturiranosti stavka, ki nas s svojo površinskostjo odvrača od njegovega pravega smisla, vendar le-ta ne zmore izraziti vsebine misli in kot čista struktura (forma) stavka ostaja prazen. Ker logično-analitična obravnava stavkov v Traktatu zajema le opisno stavčno funkcijo, ne pa tudi drugih funkcij, se na ta način ustvarja napačen videz o pravilnosti lastnih izhodišč. Filozofija poznega Wittgensteina zato izhaja iz spoznanja, da je za enakovredno obravnavo različnih stavčnih funkcij potrebna drugačna metodologija, kot so jo predvideli analitični filozofi na prelomu dvajsetega stoletja. Metoda govornih dejanj3 [speech acts], kot preproste jezikovne igre [Sprachspiel], omogoča enotnejšo obravnavo pomena stavkov naravnega jezika. Članek je predstavitev metode govornih dejanj v pozni filozofiji Ludwiga Wittgensteina, kot iskanja nujnih pogojev smiselnega izjavljanja.
The paper introduces the main theses for therapeutic interpretation, which looks for arguments in favour of continuity in therapy, as the common method of both early and late Wittgenstein. The paper presents and explains the reasons for the therapeutic interpretation of Tractatus, which understands the method of Tractatus as therapy rather than logical analysis of sentences. The therapeutic method acts therapeutically on the reader of Tractatus, as it brings him to a realization that philosophical problems are to be found in the metaphysical way of thinking.
V zgodovini teorije jezika so teoretiki jezika razvili dva osnovna pristopa analize jezika in stavčnega pomena, ki izhajata iz srednjeveškega spora o univerzalijah in se v novem veku nadaljujeta v razpravah med empiristi in racionalisti. Gre za razprave med zagovorniki psihologizma in njihovimi nasprotniki, racionalisti, ki psihologizma niso zavračali kot povsem napačne doktrine, trdili so le, da psihologistična razlaga jezika ne zadošča za pojasnitev resničnega pomena stavkov večnih resnic. Fregejevo vprašanje o resnici matematičnih in logičnih stavkov ni v tem kontekstu torej nič drugega kot poskus razrešitve spora o objektivnosti umevanja realnosti, ki na prelomu 20. stoletja ne nastopa več kot epistemološko vprašanje, ampak kot vprašanje stavčne logike, ki predstavlja osnovo sodobne filozofije jezika. Racionalistično stališče do teorije jezika sprejema tudi Chomsky, ki postavi temelj racionalističnemu pojmovanju jezika v jezikoslovju, ki jezik razume kot biološko danost lastno človeku in ne kot napredovanje v razvoju bioloških vrst. Sestavek je predstavitev glavnih argumentov naklonjenih racionalistični interpretaciji jezika.
Ključne besede: teorija jezika, racionalizem, misel, stavek in gramatika.
Abstract:
Theorists of language developed in the history of theory of language two basic approaches to the analysis of language and sentential meaning which evolved out of the medieval problem of universals and continued in disputes between empiricists and rationalists in the Modern Times. These were the disputes between the advocates of psychologism and their opponents, the rationalists, who did not oppose psychologism as a completely erroneous doctrine but claimed that the psychologistic explanation of language does not suffice for the explanation of truthful meaning of sentences concerning eternal truths. Frege's question regarding the truthfulness of mathematical and logical sentences therefore, in this context, represents an attempt to resolve the dispute concerning the objectivity of understanding of reality which at the turn of the 20th century no longer occurs as an epistemological question but as the question of propositional logic, which presents the basis of contemporary philosophy of language. Chomsky, who provides the basis for rationalistic understanding of language in linguistics, also claims the rationalistic viewpoint and holds language to be a biologically given characteristic of humans and not a progress in the development of biological species. The composition is a presentation of the main arguments dedicated to the rationalistic interpretation of language.
Keywords: theory of language, rationalism, thought, sentence and grammar.
Interpreting Interreligious Relations with Wittgenstein argues that Wittgenstein’s philosophy of religion and his thought in general continue to be highly relevant for present and future research on interreligious relations. Spanning several (sub)disciplines – from philosophy of religion, philosophy of language, comparative philosophy, comparative theology, to religious studies – the contributions engage with recent developments in interpretation of Wittgenstein and those in philosophy and theology of interreligious encounter. The book shows that there is an important and under-explored potential for constructive and fruitful engagement between these academic fields. It explores, and attempts to realize, some of this potential by involving both philosophers and theologians, and critically assesses previous applications of Wittgenstein’s work in interreligious studies.
Knjiga je prevod Wittgensteinovih predavanj, ki jih je imel na Univerzi v Cambridgeu med leti 1932 in 1935. Autor obravnava pomen besede, negacijo, gramatična pravila, jezikovne igre in Russllove propozicije.
Ključne besede: metafizika, etika, nesmiselni stavki, smisel, terapija, Traktat, Wittgenstein
If the question concerning the borderline of knowledge is characteristic for Kant's philosophy, we can claim for Wittgenstein that he devoted his life to the question concerning the nature of language and its relation to the world. Such a connection is not only marked by the logic of language, but it is also specified in terms of ethics, as the ethics present an attitude to the world, which can penetrate any thought or talk. The bond between a man, language and the world is thus conditioned with the logic as well as with ethics, which enable the reader of the Tractatus, to restore contact between the language and world therapeutically.
Keywords: metaphysics, ethics, nonsense-sentences, sense, thought (Gedanke), therapy, Tractatus, Wittgenstein
In the times of pandemic, we are witnessing a general appeal for humanity. Politicians are competing among themselves who will more determinately stand up for the humankind, for protecting lives before the economy and individuals before malady.
In the same way, as Tolstoy was searching for the true meaning of life, Wittgenstein was concerned with the same question in his early writings, namely, with the purpose of life or the world. (NB, p. 73) If Tolstoy enquired about the subject matter from a religious perspective, Wittgenstein posed the question from an ethical, aesthetic, spiritual and epistemological point of view. If religion reveals "the true meaning of life", the ethics of a happy man shows in his way of living, namely in his actions and attitudes. Accordingly, religion and ethics treat "the true meaning of life" by investigating "the meaning of the world". For Wittgenstein, ethics and religion are in close association, as they both disclose the fundamental sense of life and the world, without which human existence becomes unbearable. When "the true meaning of the world" is taken hold, despair is overcome, and one can hope to live happily.
The lecture focuses mainly on Tractarian ethics and maintains that the Tractatus is not only a philosophical writing on ethics but also a righteous deed.