Ray Monk – författare

Though Wittgenstein wrote on the same subjects that dominate the work of other analytic philosophers - the nature of logic, the limits of language, the analysis of meaning - he did so in a peculiarly poetic style that separates his work sharply from that of his peers and makes the question of how to read him particularly pertinent.At the root of Wittgenstein's thought, Ray Monk argues, is a determination to resist the scientism characteristic of our age, a determination to insist on the integrity and the autonomy of non-scientific forms of understanding. The kind of understanding we seek in philosophy, Wittgenstein tried to make clear, is similar to the kind we might seek of a person, a piece of music, or, indeed, a poem.Extracts are taken from Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and from a range of writings, including Philosophical Investigations, The Blue and Brown Books and Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology.

'Monk's energetic enterprise is remarkable for the interweaving of the philosophical and the emotional aspects of Wittgenstein's life' Sunday Times'Ray Monk's reconnection of Wittgenstein's philosophy with his life triumphantly carries out the Wittgensteinian task of "changing the aspect" of Wittgenstein's work, getting us to see it in a new way' Sunday Telegraph'This biography transforms Wittgenstein into a human being' Independent on Sunday 'It is much to be recommended' Observer'Monk's biography is deeply intelligent, generous to the ordinary reader... It is a beautiful portrait of a beautiful life' Guardian

J. Robert Oppenheimer is among the most contentious and important figures of the twentieth century. As head of the Los Alamos Laboratory, he oversaw the successful effort to beat the Nazis to develop the first atomic bomb – a breakthrough which was to have eternal ramifications for mankind, and made Oppenheimer the 'father of the Bomb'.But his was not a simple story of assimilation, scientific success and world fame. A complicated and fragile personality, the implications of the discoveries at Los Alamos were to weigh heavily upon him. Having formed suspicious connections in the 1930s, in the wake of the Allied victory in World War Two, Oppenheimer’s attempts to resist the escalation of the Cold War arms race would lead many to question his loyalties – and set him on a collision course with Senator Joseph McCarthy and his witch hunters.

The Great Philosophers in one volume: the widely acclaimed series on the greatest philosophers by specialists writing for the general reader.The Great Philosophers brings together in one volume and in chronological order the best from our hugely successful series: Anthony Gottlieb on Socrates; Bernard Williams on Plato; John Cottingham on Descartes; Roger Scruton on Spinoza; David Berman on Berkeley; Anthony Quinton on Hume; Terry Eagleton on Marx; Ray Monk on Russell; Jonathan Ree on Heidegger; Peter Hacker on Wittgenstein; Frederic Raphael on Popper Andrew Hodges on Turing.

'The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts' Bertrand Russell'Science is what you know. Philosophy is what you don't know'Bertrand Russell discovered mathematics at the age of eleven. It was, he recalled, a transporting experience: 'as dazzling as first love'. From that moment on, he would pursue his passion with undying devotion and fervour. Mathematics might succeed, he felt, where philosophy had failed, reducing thought to its purest form, and freeing knowledge from doubt and contradiction. And for a time, so it seemed. Russell's mathematical investigations effortlessly resolved at a stroke some of philosophy's most intractable problems. Yet if mathematics could be a liberating mistress, she was also an unreliable one...Opening up the work of one of our age's undisputed giants, Ray Monk's exhilaratingly clear, readable guide tells a compelling human tale too: a moving story of love and loss, of ecstatic triumph and deep disillusion.

'Monk's energetic enterprise is remarkable for the interweaving of the philosophical and the emotional aspects of Wittgenstein's life' Sunday Times'Ray Monk's reconnection of Wittgenstein's philosophy with his life triumphantly carries out the Wittgensteinian task of "changing the aspect" of Wittgenstein's work, getting us to see it in a new way' Sunday Telegraph'This biography transforms Wittgenstein into a human being' Independent on Sunday 'It is much to be recommended' Observer'Monk's biography is deeply intelligent, generous to the ordinary reader... It is a beautiful portrait of a beautiful life' Guardian

J. Robert Oppenheimer is among the most contentious and important figures of the twentieth century. As head of the Los Alamos Laboratory, he oversaw the successful effort to beat the Nazis to develop the first atomic bomb – a breakthrough which was to have eternal ramifications for mankind, and made Oppenheimer the 'father of the Bomb'.But his was not a simple story of assimilation, scientific success and world fame. A complicated and fragile personality, the implications of the discoveries at Los Alamos were to weigh heavily upon him. Having formed suspicious connections in the 1930s, in the wake of the Allied victory in World War Two, Oppenheimer’s attempts to resist the escalation of the Cold War arms race would lead many to question his loyalties – and set him on a collision course with Senator Joseph McCarthy and his witch hunters.

Die beste Wittgenstein-Biographie: überarbeitet und neu aufgelegtAus der minutiösen Recherche, aus vielen Korrespondenzen und Tagebüchern entsteht das Leben des Philosophen, wie man es so nicht kannte – keine Kultfigur, sondern ein Mensch, der sich einer permanenten Selbstprüfung unterwarf. Durch einzigartiges erzählerisches Geschick fesselt Ray Monk von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite. Er schuf damit die beste Wittgenstein- Biographie überhaupt – nun gibt es sie in einer überarbeiteten Neuausgabe.»Die Biografie versteht zu faszinieren wie der Meister selbst.«Matthias Frings, SFB2»Nur selten hat man wie bei Monk das Gefühl, dass es einem Biographen gelungen ist, den Motor gefunden zu haben, der das Leben und Schaffen einer Person in Gang hielt.«Michael Hampe, Frankfurter Rundschau»Monk lichtet etwas vom fabulösen Nebel um eine der faszinierendsten Gestalten dieses Jahrhunderts.«Matthias Kross, Der Tagesspiegel

Ray Monk låter oss följa Wittgenstein genom hela hans växlingsrika levnad. Från uppväxten i den högborgerliga och förmögna familjen i det slutande artonhundratalets Wien – ”ett laboratorium för självförintelse” – via de ingenjörsvetenskapliga studierna i Berlin och Manchester, de komplicerade vänskapsrelationerna till Bertrand Russell, J M Keynes och G E Moore – Monk berättar historien om hur den odrägligt intensive unge Wittgenstein fick Russell att söka igenom sitt arbetsrum för att bevisa att där inte fanns någon noshörning – till den dödslängtan som fick honom att uppsöka första världskrigets skyttegravar och arbeta som sjukvårdare under blitzen i London. Monk skildrar också Wittgensteins misslyckade försök att bli folkskollärare, hans förakt för den akademiska filosofin och dess förvaltare, hur han för att finna arbetsro uppsöker ensliga platser i Norge – där han i Skjolden, i det inre av Sognefjord, bygger sig en hytte – och på Irland, hans planer på att emigrera till Sovjet. Driven av en moralisk och intellektuell kompromisslöshet utan motstycke kom Wittgenstein inte bara att leva ett egensinnigt liv, hans radikala ifrågasättande av etablerade filosofiska sanningar har i grunden ändrat vår uppfattning om vad tänkande är och kan vara. "... utan tvivel den mest väldokumenterade och allsidiga framställningen vi har av filosofens liv och verk... Det är en utmärkt sak att vi nu har Monks bok på svenska och i en god översättning. Den kommer att öka intresset för filosofi i allmänhet och för Wittgenstein i synnerhet." /Carl-Göran Ekerwald Dagens Nyheter "En av de absolut bästa böcker jag har läst. Den kombinerar ett liv, ett mycket komplicerat liv som var denne Ludwig Wittgensteins, med hans idéer och filosofi. Läser man boken får man en inblick i det han har gjort som filosof och samtidigt ser man detta Europa han levde i. Han dog i början av femtiotalet och levde alltså i ett sammanbrytande Habsburgvälde, i ett England där Bertrand Russell sprang runt och jagade flickor medan Wittgenstein hade en annan läggning. Allt detta är serverat på ett jättefint sätt. Det visar att liv och verk med nödvändighet hänger ihop." /Pierre Guilliet de Monthoux, Vetandets värld