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| Plot Summary of Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius |
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"This is Ray Monk's biography of Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the most famous philosophers of the 20th Century. Wittgenstein was born in 1889 to one of the wealthiest families in Vienna, Austria, but from an early age felt drawn into pondering philosophical questions like, for instance, "Why should one tell the truth if it's to one's advantage to tell a lie?" Though drawn to philosophy, he first obtained a degree in aeronautics at the Technical University in Berlin and subsequently went to Manchester, England, to further his aeronautical studies. There he was introduced to Bertrand Russell's work in logic and mathematics and became increasingly obsessed with it. He later became Russell's protege at the famous University of Cambridge in England but grew to despise academic life and to seek isolation in rural environs instead to work out his own thoughts on the subjects that interested him.
"
Dorothea Lotter, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession:
- philosopher
Job/profession/poverty story
Yes
Period of greatest activity?
- 1900+
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- teacher/professor
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
- obsessed
- emotionally unstable
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this person?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other people
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 5 ()
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
- Scandinavia
Mountains/Cliffs
Yes
Mountains:
- climbing on trails
Century:
- 1930's-1950's
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel?
- in awe
Is book humorous?
Yes
If humorous, kind of humor
- eccentric personalities
Commentary on society?
Yes
Unusual Style:
- a lot of play on words
- a lot of flashback and forwards
Writer's slant towards subject:
- very favorable
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of nearly entire life
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- significantly more descript than dialog
A LOT of info about personal vices?
Yes
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 26-50% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story?
- 26-50% of book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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