9 Jun
2025
9 Jun
'25
5:37 p.m.
Dear All,
The next talk in the "Wittgenstein=steine" series is this Friday (June
13th) at 3pm in room NIG 3D.
The speaker is Konstantin Deininger, and his title is:
_"On the Material and Formal Aspects of (Moral) Certainty"_.
Abstract:
Does morality have a binding character in the sense that chains of
justification come to an end? In this talk, I will affirm this question
and argue that we can plausibly distinguish between formal and material
aspects of moral certainty. As a starting point, I will interpret
Wittgenstein's idea of "bedrock," introduced in §217 of the
Philosophical Investigations, as standing for the end of a chain of
reasoning. In doing so, I align with certain Wittgensteinian
interpreters who maintain that some chains of moral reasoning end with
certainty. However, I will arrive at deviating conclusions by
demonstrating that different kinds of moral certainties function in
different ways. Wittgensteinian scholars such as Cora Diamond and Nigel
Pleasants correctly identify the formal aspect of moral certainty,
showing that some propositions resist justification and doubt. However,
the candidates for formal certainties they propose do not fully satisfy
the criteria of certainty. This, I argue, is due to their failure to
adequately distinguish between the formal and material aspects of
certainty. Material certainties, such as Diamond's "slavery is unjust
and insupportable" or Pleasants' "killing is wrong," remain
intelligible
to some extent and are thus subject to justification and doubt. Still,
these propositions function as regress stoppers by putting an end to the
chain of reasoning--but they do not mark the boundary of the
unintelligible as formal certainties do. Drawing on Wittgenstein's later
writings, I will argue that only formal certainties--which I refer to as
transcendental certainties--are entirely exempt from justification and
doubt. I identify the principle "equals are to be treated equally" as a
plausible candidate for transcendental certainty. This certainty is
foundational to moral reasoning and enables moral thought. I illustrate
its role through debates on justice in animal ethics.
Everybody welcome!
Best wishes from the organizers,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
8 Oct
8 Oct
12:48 p.m.
New subject: Wittgen=steine talks in Winter Term
Dear All,
The "Wittgen=steine" talks continue in Winter Term. Here are the titles
and abstracts:
Andreas Krebs
Unabgeschlossenes Denken: Wittgenstein über Gewissheit
Friday, November 28th, 2025, 3-4:30pm, HS 3B
Abstract: Wittgensteins Über Gewissheit - ein Text, der Sätze wie „Dies
ist meine Hand", „Die Erde ist sehr alt", „Es war noch niemand auf dem
Mond" verhandelt - wird häufig als philosophisches Werk gelesen, das
eine kohärente Theorie unhintergehbarer Selbstverständlichkeiten
enthalte. Forschungskontroversen drehen sich oft darum, um welche
Theorie es sich hierbei handeln soll. Diese Art, sich mit Über
Gewissheit auseinander zu setzen, ist aus mindestens drei Gründen
problematisch: Erstens ist Über Gewissheit kein Werk, sondern eine
posthume Kompilation fragmentarischer Notizen; viele vermeintliche
theoretische Zentralbegriffe - etwa „Fundament", „Weltbild" oder „Angel"
- tauchen nur in wenigen Aufzeichnungen auf, deren Datierung zudem
nahelegt, dass Wittgenstein sich bloß kurzzeitig mit jenen Begriffen
beschäftigt hat. Zweitens bilden Gewissheiten keine homogene Klasse,
sondern eine Familie, deren Mitglieder durch Ähnlichkeiten und Übergänge
verbunden sind, ohne auf gemeinsame Merkmale reduzierbar zu sein;
etliche pointierte Beobachtungen Wittgensteins, die in der Diskussion
verallgemeinert werden, treffen tatsächlich nur auf bestimmte
Gewissheiten zu und auf andere nicht. Drittens gibt es in dem
Textmaterial, das in Über Gewissheit zusammengestellt wurde,
unauflösbare Spannungen und Widersprüche; Wittgenstein hat offenbar
nicht zu Beschreibungen der Phänomene gefunden, die er selbst als
zufriedenstellend hätte gelten lassen können. So lässt sich Über
Gewissheit als Dokument einer Denkbemühung lesen, die faktisch nicht zum
Abschluss kommt - und vielleicht prinzipiell nicht kommen kann.
Gisela Bengtsson
Wittgenstein, Frege and the character of philosophical discourse
Friday, January 16th, 2026, 3-4:30pm, HS 3F
Abstract: In this talk I will explore Frege's descriptions of the role
of elucidatory prose in his project and his demarcation of it from
scientific discourse. I will focus on the assumption that Wittgenstein
conceives of these remarks as a possible answer to the question of what
characterizes philosophical discourse. I will compare passages from
Frege discussions of elucidations to remarks in the so-called chapter on
philosophy in the Philosophical Investigations. The point of the
comparison will be to bring out lines of continuity between Frege's
distinction between elucidatory prose and scientific discourse, and the
demarcation of science from philosophy found in the Philosophical
Investigations. Wittgenstein's wordings in some of these passages
coincide with or echo Frege's choice of words. A further assumption that
will be discussed is that Frege's conception of elucidatory prose to a
large extent shapes the form of presentation that Wittgenstein develops
over time and uses in the Philosophical Investigations.
Everybody welcome!
Best wishes from the organizers,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
24 Nov
24 Nov
10:16 a.m.
New subject: Wittgen=steine talks this coming Friday
Dear All,
The "Wittgen=steine" talks continue this coming Friday, November 28th,
2025, 3-4:30pm, HS 3B:
Andreas Krebs
Unabgeschlossenes Denken: Wittgenstein über Gewissheit
Abstract: Wittgensteins Über Gewissheit - ein Text, der Sätze wie „Dies
ist meine Hand", „Die Erde ist sehr alt", „Es war noch niemand auf dem
Mond" verhandelt - wird häufig als philosophisches Werk gelesen, das
eine kohärente Theorie unhintergehbarer Selbstverständlichkeiten
enthalte. Forschungskontroversen drehen sich oft darum, um welche
Theorie es sich hierbei handeln soll. Diese Art, sich mit Über
Gewissheit auseinander zu setzen, ist aus mindestens drei Gründen
problematisch: Erstens ist Über Gewissheit kein Werk, sondern eine
posthume Kompilation fragmentarischer Notizen; viele vermeintliche
theoretische Zentralbegriffe - etwa „Fundament", „Weltbild" oder „Angel"
- tauchen nur in wenigen Aufzeichnungen auf, deren Datierung zudem
nahelegt, dass Wittgenstein sich bloß kurzzeitig mit jenen Begriffen
beschäftigt hat. Zweitens bilden Gewissheiten keine homogene Klasse,
sondern eine Familie, deren Mitglieder durch Ähnlichkeiten und Übergänge
verbunden sind, ohne auf gemeinsame Merkmale reduzierbar zu sein;
etliche pointierte Beobachtungen Wittgensteins, die in der Diskussion
verallgemeinert werden, treffen tatsächlich nur auf bestimmte
Gewissheiten zu und auf andere nicht. Drittens gibt es in dem
Textmaterial, das in Über Gewissheit zusammengestellt wurde,
unauflösbare Spannungen und Widersprüche; Wittgenstein hat offenbar
nicht zu Beschreibungen der Phänomene gefunden, die er selbst als
zufriedenstellend hätte gelten lassen können. So lässt sich Über
Gewissheit als Dokument einer Denkbemühung lesen, die faktisch nicht zum
Abschluss kommt - und vielleicht prinzipiell nicht kommen kann.
Everybody welcome!
Best wishes from the organizers,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
9 Mar
9 Mar
12:41 p.m.
New subject: Wittgen=steine talk on March 20th: Sandra Laugier, "Wittgenstein, Subjectivity and Expression"
Dear All,
The "Wittgen=steine" talks continue next week Friday, March 20th,
3-4:30pm, in NIG lecture hall 3D:
Sandra Laugier (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) will speak on:
"Wittgenstein, Subjectivity and Expression"
Abstract: I will discuss the reconceptualization of subjectivity in the
later philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein and in Stanley Cavell's _Claim
of Reason_. Rather than rejecting the notion of inner life,
Wittgenstein's later writings--especially in the philosophy of
psychology--rethink the traditional opposition between the inner and the
outer. I argue that subjectivity should not be understood as an
interiority but as a form of expression realized through voice. Meaning
and subjectivity emerge in the public dimension of language, where
individual voice simultaneously claims and depends upon shared
linguistic criteria. The analysis explores how expressions, gestures,
and speech function as outward criteria for what we call "inner"
processes. At the same time, this redefinition of subjectivity exposes
the persistent threat of skepticism: not primarily a problem about
knowing other minds, but about the difficulty of acknowledging
expression and meaning what one says.
Everybody welcome!
Best wishes from the organizers,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
20 Mar
20 Mar
10:07 a.m.
New subject: Reminder: Wittgen=steine talk TODAY: Sandra Laugier, "Wittgenstein, Subjectivity and Expression"
REMINDER:
Dear All,
The "Wittgen=steine" talks continue TODAY, March 20th, 3-4:30pm, in NIG
lecture hall 3D:
Sandra Laugier (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) will speak on:
"Wittgenstein, Subjectivity and Expression"
Abstract: I will discuss the reconceptualization of subjectivity in the
later philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein and in Stanley Cavell's _Claim
of Reason_. Rather than rejecting the notion of inner life,
Wittgenstein's later writings--especially in the philosophy of
psychology--rethink the traditional opposition between the inner and the
outer. I argue that subjectivity should not be understood as an
interiority but as a form of expression realized through voice. Meaning
and subjectivity emerge in the public dimension of language, where
individual voice simultaneously claims and depends upon shared
linguistic criteria. The analysis explores how expressions, gestures,
and speech function as outward criteria for what we call "inner"
processes. At the same time, this redefinition of subjectivity exposes
the persistent threat of skepticism: not primarily a problem about
knowing other minds, but about the difficulty of acknowledging
expression and meaning what one says.
Everybody welcome!
Best wishes from the organizers,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
21 Jun
21 Jun
7:18 a.m.
New subject: Wittgen=steine talk on June 26th: Thomas Raleigh, "Rule-Following and Machine Learning"
Dear All,
The "Wittgen=steine" talks continue Friday, June 26th, 3-4:30pm, in NIG
lecture hall 3D:
Thomas Raleigh (University of Luxemburg) will speak on:
Rule-Following and Machine Learning
26.06.2026, 15.00-16.30h, HS 3D
Abstract: Deep Neural Networks trained via machine learning can
sometimes appear to be successfully performing some intended function
but then surprisingly diverge from the intended function for some new
inputs. This sort of misalignment bears a striking similarity to the
sort of hypothetical scenario discussed by Wittgenstein - and later
Kripke - in which a pupil appears to have successfully learned a rule,
such as continually adding 2 each time, but then suddenly starts to
continue the series in a divergent, deviant way. In this talk I will
explore whether and how the 'Kripkensteinian' rule-following paradox is
relevant for current AI technology. In particular I critically respond
to recent claims by Arvan (2025) that the rule-following paradox allows
for a 'proof' that it is impossible to interpret or align Large Language
Models. If there is time at the end, I will also try to say something
positive (and somewhat speculative!) about how Wittgenstein's
rule-following remarks do bear on the topic of AI and machine learning.
All welcome!
Best wishes,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
2 Nov
2 Nov
5:19 p.m.
New subject: Two Wittgen=steine talks coming up in December and January
Dear All,
Two "Wittgen=steine" are coming up in December and January:
Hanoch Ben-Yami
On _On Certainty_ Ideas
* Dezember 2026, 15.00-16.30, Hörsaal 2G
Abstract: _On Certainty_ is one of the most important contributions to
epistemology in the 20th century. 'It is not a selection', wrote
Anscombe of her edition of it; 'Wittgenstein marked it off in his
notebooks as a separate topic' and 'it constitutes a single sustained
treatment of the topic'. That's not the case. She made many editorial
decisions and offered the public a selection that represented her
understanding, and misunderstandings, of Wittgenstein. Even the title,
'On Certainty', is a misnomer: the book's main topic is _not_ certainty.
In several ways, the new edition and translation by Peter Hacker (2025)
is an improvement on the former one, as I shall explain. I shall then
discuss ideas occurring in the book, also going beyond Wittgenstein in
trying to assess the reasons various kinds of truths are removed from
doubt. I shall also offer criticisms of some of these ideas.
Cecilie Eriksen
Close(d) Encounters: Wittgenstein, Løgstrup and the ethical shortcomings
of public service bots
* Januar 2027, 15.00-16.30, Hörsaal 2G
Abstract: In public sectors across Western democracies, authorities have
for the last decades sought to automate public services. One
increasingly popular form of this automation is the introduction of
public service chat- and voice bots. Their purpose is typically to
provide citizens and businesses with information on, e.g., services,
rules and opening hours and help them navigate official webpages and
book appointments. Today, these bots serve hundreds of thousands of
citizens each year, and the hope of politicians is that the bots will be
able to take on a growing share of front-line tasks, delivering
high-quality public service that is also time- and cost-efficient.
NGOs, researchers and citizens have, however, identified a range of
ethical problems arising in the use of public service bots, such as a
lack of transparency, inadequate privacy protection, the use of flawed
data, wrong or misleading bot answers, unclear accountability in the
event of bot-failures, and problematic biases in the system design
resulting in systemic discrimination against, for instance, disabled
people, the elderly, and non-native speakers.
In this talk, I will use the later Wittgenstein's work on _certainty_
and the Danish philosopher K.E. Løgstrup's work on _spontaneous
utterances of life_ to bring out further ethical shortcomings arising
'when the state-bot meets the street'. In this case, the shortcomings
are not caused by fixable flaws in the design of the digital system,
rather, they arise as an inherent consequence of it being a meeting
between a digital system and a human being.
All welcome!
Best wishes,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
8 Jan
8 Jan
6:09 p.m.
New subject: Cancellation of Wittgen=steine talk next week Friday
Dear All,
The earlier-announced Wittgen=steine talk for next week Friday ...
Gisela Bengtsson
Wittgenstein, Frege and the character of philosophical discourse
Friday, January 16th, 2026, 3-4:30pm, HS 3F
... had to be cancelled.
Best wishes from the organizers,
Esther Heinrich-Ramharter
Anja Weiberg
Martin Kusch
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Martin Kusch