Thought Movements: Ludwig Wittgenstein's Diaries, 1930–1932 and 1936–1937

Wittgenstein's diary entries from the 1930s reveal his philosophical practice in a way that his published works do not. While his published works present his final, coalesced thoughts, his diary offers a window into his process of doing philosophy. Only in his private writing does Wittgenstein's philosophical practice fully come to light.

In his diary, Wittgenstein agonizes over his relationship with Marguerite Respinger and tries to come to terms with its failure. He relates and interprets several of his dreams, and comments on his philosophical colleagues Frank Ramsey and G.E. Moore, as well as on musicians such as Beethoven, Bruckner, and Brahms, and authors such as Kraus, Mann, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, and Kierkegaard. He also struggles to make confessions to friends and family, and relates in painful detail his spiritual crisis in Norway in the late winter of 1937.

From a man who once recommended silence about spiritual matters, the diary presents an honest and searing articulation of his attempts to believe and live what he finds in the Bible. These raw materials could have been the basis for one of the great spiritual autobiographies of the twentieth century.

This edition of Wittgenstein's diary is now available in an affordable format, with updated and expanded editorial notes to help the reader understand his many allusions. It also includes a new Introduction by Ray Monk, which places the diary in the larger arc of Wittgenstein's life.

The published works of Ludwig Wittgenstein reveal the final, coalesced thoughts of this philosophical giant, but his diary provides a unique and intimate glimpse into his process of doing philosophy. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the development of Wittgenstein's thought and the personal struggles that shaped his worldview.

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