Wittgenstein's philosophy
Viva voce
pp. 63-78
in: Michael A. Peters, Jeff Stickney (eds), A companion to Wittgenstein on education, Berlin, Springer, 2017Abstract
Wittgenstein was a passionate and inspired teacher and philosopher. He taught elementary school in rural Austria from 1920 to 1926 and philosophy at Cambridge University from 1929 to 1949. His early pedagogical practices exemplified Austrian school reform principles. Rote learning was replaced by Arbeitsschule or "learning by doing", a method that guided students to self-activity through integrated instruction. "Learning by doing" could also serve as an apt description of Wittgenstein's later philosophy, a philosophy he composed viva voce while teaching in Cambridge. Although it is commonplace to speak of Wittgenstein's early and later philosophy, it is not yet common to speak of his early and later teaching. While the former is defined by difference, the latter is surprisingly consistent and coherent. This suggests that one of the most fruitful ways to approach Wittgenstein's life and work is not through attempts to render his early and later philosophical texts more consistent or coherent, but to recognize the continuity and development of his early and later pedagogical practices. While the relationship between Wittgenstein's philosophical and pedagogical practices remains controversial, there is growing recognition of its significance and importance.
