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Wittgenstein Reads Plato

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Wittgenstein and Plato

Abstract

Wittgenstein read Plato. While Frege and Russell were obviously more important for his philosophical development, and although Plato is not mentioned in the well-known 1931 list of the authors who influenced him,4 Wittgenstein’s written work contains more quotations from Plato than from any other philosopher.

Wittgenstein reads Plato — the only philosopher he reads.1 The word ‘Plato’ has as many sounds as the pentacle has corners.2 Why should I wish to call our present activity philosophy, when we also call Plato’s activity philosophy?3

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© 2013 Wolfgang Kienzler

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Kienzler, W. (2013). Wittgenstein Reads Plato. In: Perissinotto, L., Cámara, B.R. (eds) Wittgenstein and Plato. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137313447_2

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