Ludwig Wittgenstein

  • 19

    Catalog books

  • 17

    Works

  • 1972 to 2007

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

Ludwig Wittgenstein’s work here centers on language, thought, and psychological explanation. The Blue and Brown Books gather his conversational notes exploring how words acquire meaning through use, while Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology pursues related problems about mental concepts and the grammar of psychological explanation.

Together these volumes trace Wittgenstein’s shift from formal problems to ordinary-language investigations of meaning and mind. They emphasize close attention to everyday expressions, showing how philosophical confusion often dissolves once the workings of language and rule-following are carefully described.

Best Place To Start

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Philosophy of language • Ordinary language analysis • Tractatus and later aphoristic style

Genres and themes: Analytic philosophy • Language and meaning • Mind and psychology

Who this author is best for: For readers who enjoy rigorous, concise thought experiments about meaning, mind, and how language shapes understanding.

Start with the Blue and Brown Books for accessible lecture-style notes, then move to the Last Writings for later, fragmentary reflections.

Top Books To Start With

  1. Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 1

    Univ of Chicago Pr • 1996 • standard commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1996 • 304 pages.

  2. Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume I

    Univ of Chicago Pr • 1988 • longer commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1988 • 422 pages.

  3. The Blue and Brown Books

    Harpercollins College Div • 1980 • standard commitment

    It stands out because it asks for less time than many of the longer volumes on this page.

  4. Philosophical Investigations

    Blackwell Publishing, Incorporated • 1972 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1972 • 250 pages.

  5. Wittgenstein's lectures on philosophical psychology, 1946-47

    Univ of Chicago Pr • 1989 • longer commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1989 • 348 pages.

  6. Culture and Value

    Univ of Chicago Pr • 1984 • standard commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1984 • 195 pages.

  7. Alaskan Voyage: 1881-1883; an Expedition to the Northwest Coast of America

    Univ of Chicago Pr • 1977 • standard commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1977 • 266 pages.

  8. Philosophical Remarks

    Univ of Chicago Pr • 1975 • longer commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1975 • 357 pages.

  9. Tractatus Logico Philosophicus (Routledge Classics)

    Routledge • 2001 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2001 • 128 pages.

  10. Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology Volume 2

    Wiley-Blackwell • 1991 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1991 • 143 pages.

How The Picks Compare

  • Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 1 is the easier short commitment, while Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume I asks for more reading time up front.
  • Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume I gives you an earlier look at this author’s shelf, while Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 1 leans later in the catalog.
  • The Blue and Brown Books is also useful if you want a different publishing lane from Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology, Volume 1.

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