Ludwig Wittgenstein on Race, Gender, and Cultural Identity : Philosophy as a Personal Endeavor

This book challenges conventional portraits of Ludwig Wittgenstein that narrowly depict him as a philosopher's philosopher.

Rather, this study demonstrates Wittgenstein's engagement with social, ethical and cultural questions, including aspects of 'otherness'.

The first two chapters center on autobiography as neglected other and highlight Wittgenstein's interest in it throughout his life; the next two address topics of femininity and Jewishness as cultural categories, and the fifth considers their implications for the artistic achievement of Gustav Mahler.

The final two essays are about ethics and religion. As Wittgenstein works through these problems of 'otherness' he unearths deeply rooted biases and prejudices and urges his readers to work through them and be vigilant so we don't fall into them.

The author's reading of these 'margins of philosophy' provides a multi-faceted view of Wittgenstein and shows him to be a figure of broad cultural significance - a philosopher for our time.