WITTGENSTEIN, Ludwig, Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics, translated by G.E.M. Anscombe, edited by G.H. von Wright, R. Rhees, G.E.M. Anscombe (Basil Blackwell, Oxford), 1956 [first edition]

156 x 227mm; pp. xix, 196 [but paginated once only for each facing page], [8]

The companion to the Philosophical Investigations. Though hardly as approachable or well known than Wittgenstein’s mature linguistic philosophy, his work on the foundations of mathematics was no less important to him, and in fact occupied a large amount of his teaching, thinking and writing in the crucial ‘transition’ period of the 1930s. For even mathematically trained readers Wittgenstein’s position has remained obscure.

Critiques of his ‘finitism’ and ‘constructivism’, and of his ‘misunderstanding’ of Gödel generally show no appreciation of his general meta-philosophical position. Many philosophers, meanwhile, have not felt qualified to tackle the mathematical work. Wittgenstein himself once stated that he felt his “chief contribution has been in the philosophy of mathematics”. Owing to the complicated state of Wittgenstein’s unpublished notes on mathematics, we are still at a relatively early stage of the full interpretation of this significant area of his work.

Good condition: jacket neatly repaired and strengthened, spine browned; cloth binding and text block very good; early name stamp to inside front cover and title page.