This thesis asserts that Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy, expressed primarily through
his formulation of the private language argument, offers a uniquely illuminating perspective to
the works of Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot. The very idea of the private language argument is
inherently built upon a limit. Through it, Wittgenstein poses a paradox to us: in examining the
limitations of language, it is impossible to determine what the limit is from the angle at which
language no longer plays a role. In this light, language is the currency of comprehension. In
examining the efficacy and dilemmas of language, its meaning, its use, its necessity of public
rules and one’s subsequent acknowledgement of them, Wittgenstein’s later work, Philosophical
Investigations, is employed throughout the body of this thesis. This paper argues that it is not
enough to merely consider the fact that Woolf and Eliot take an ethical stance (an action-based
position formed from their own interactions with the city of London) upon the epistemological
problems of private language; rather, it is more useful to assert the potency of the two authors’
differing solutions to the problems of language that are found in their respective works.
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Wittgenstein’s Private Language and its Use
III. Woolf, Eliot, and the Parallax of Private Language
IV. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the intersection of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s private language argument and the modernist literary works of Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot, specifically focusing on how these authors navigate the epistemological and communicative challenges posed by the "city" as a space of isolation and potentiality.
- Analysis of Wittgenstein’s "Philosophical Investigations" and the paradox of private language.
- Exploration of London as a backdrop for modernist struggles with intimacy and knowledge of the "Other."
- Examination of Virginia Woolf’s "Mrs. Dalloway" and "To the Lighthouse" regarding the limitations of language.
- Investigation of T.S. Eliot’s "The Wasteland" and its portrayal of communal isolation.
- Application of Saul Kripke’s modal logic to evaluate authorial models of communication.
Excerpt from the Book
Woolf, Eliot, and the Parallax of Private Language
It would be impossible to separate the city of London from Virginia Woolf’s body of work. There is a sense of consistency in the city of London in her writing: a constructive fluidity built primarily from a historical context in Woolf’s narrative. There is always a pressing urgency in the city’s very essence (as a state of being) as scenery to Mrs. Dalloway. Septimus and Lucrezia Smith are, of course, aware of this sensation of engagement with the city, though in obviously dissimilar states. Clarissa, too, is always cognizant of the city’s place in her life, and she has developed (as she has with her husband), a sense of fondness from afar, a sense of duty to the city. Therefore, the city becomes a kind of secondary character—not merely a backdrop, but a being in its own right, a living and breathing and working organism that remains mostly the same throughout Woolf’s novels. The city is reminiscent, both in immediate form and in subtext, of a labyrinth as Woolf continually expresses a sense of being at odds with the city.
At times, London is like a dear and old acquaintance to her, and at other times, it is a source of misery and abandonment and isolation. What we ultimately find in Mrs. Dalloway is that there is no clear-cut answer to the problems raised and presented throughout the course of the work. In contrast, To the Lighthouse presents us with a sense of finality: a conclusion that there is no specified end-based conclusion aside from the intermediate stance of having one’s vision. This model of an action-oriented ethic as a modifier of self-concealment will be further addressed later in this section. In writing and thinking about Woolf as both an author and an ardent lover of her city, one must necessarily posit her vision of the city alongside her vision of her own craft, as well as the very nature of the craft itself.
Chapter Summaries
I. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core thesis that Wittgenstein’s private language argument provides a unique lens to analyze the works of Woolf and Eliot, focusing on the epistemological problems of language in the context of the city.
II. Wittgenstein’s Private Language and its Use: This chapter analyzes Wittgenstein’s methodology in "Philosophical Investigations," focusing on how he approaches the paradoxes of meaning, rules, and the inability to formulate private sensations into public language.
III. Woolf, Eliot, and the Parallax of Private Language: This chapter applies the previously established philosophical framework to Woolf’s and Eliot’s novels and poems, examining how their characters grapple with isolation and the struggle to convey meaning.
IV. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that for both authors, the "solution" to the paradox of private language is found not in theory, but in an action-based ethical imperative and the act of artistic creation.
Keywords
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, Virginia Woolf, T.S. Eliot, Modernism, Private Language Argument, London, Epistemology, Modal Logic, Saul Kripke, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, The Wasteland, Isolation, Language Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores the connection between Ludwig Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language—specifically the "private language argument"—and the literary works of Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot, focusing on how they represent the modern individual's struggle to connect with others.
What central themes are addressed?
Key themes include the limits of language, the experience of isolation in urban environments, the possibility of intimate knowledge, and the role of artistic vision in navigating these philosophical difficulties.
What is the main research question?
The work seeks to determine how the epistemological problems identified by Wittgenstein, particularly the impossibility of a truly private language, manifest in the narratives of Woolf and Eliot and whether these authors propose a "solution" to the resulting social and personal isolation.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a close-reading literary analysis combined with philosophical inquiry, specifically utilizing Saul Kripke’s interpretations of Wittgenstein and the concepts found in "Philosophical Investigations."
What does the main body cover?
The body analyzes Wittgenstein's linguistic philosophy, examines the "parallax" view of private language in literature, and provides detailed comparative analyses of characters and scenes in "Mrs. Dalloway," "To the Lighthouse," and "The Wasteland."
How would you characterize the keywords of this work?
The work is defined by the intersection of analytic philosophy and modernist literature, centered on communication, subjectivity, and the urban experience.
How does Wittgenstein’s "private language argument" apply to the characters in "Mrs. Dalloway"?
The thesis argues that characters like Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Smith represent the failure to bridge the gap between inner private sensations and public language, leading to their profound sense of isolation.
Why does the author focus on the city of London?
London serves as both a physical setting and a metaphor for the modernist condition—a labyrinthine space that reflects the fragmented subjectivity and the difficulty of authentic human connection.
What is the significance of the "two-paintings-in-one" analogy in the text?
Used to interpret Lily Briscoe’s art in "To the Lighthouse," this analogy illustrates that the artist’s vision and the public perception of that vision can never fully reconcile, mirroring the communicative divide between individuals.
- Citar trabajo
- Thomas Robb (Autor), 2010, Visions of the City - Wittgenstein and Linguistic Modalities in Modernism, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/178705
