BWS is very sad to announce the death of Professor Frank Cioffi's on 1 January 2012. Frank was an inspiring teacher. He was a philosopher, in the full sense of the word -- a man of wisdom, whose love of life resonated in his infectious passion for thought. His writings and lectures reverberated with wit and living examples drawn from literature and psychology. The world has lost some of its brilliance and humanity.

Obituaries are all in a pop-up box

Read his nephew, Frank L Cioffi's, obituary
Read Edward Greenwood's obituary
Read the poem by Edward Greenwood in his memory

Watch the video of the lecture he gave to the BWS on 26 October 2012

2011 anniversary year

A summary of events marking 60 years since the death of Ludwig Wittgenstein is on this link. BWS' own event was a competition - winning entries can be seen on this link.

In September of 1912 Ludwig Wittgenstein visited Iceland with his friend David Pinsent. Pinsent kept a detailed diary of their travels that give a great insight into the life of Icelanders in the beginning of the 20th century, but also portraits Wittgenstein’s genius along with his famous eccentricity.

 

John Preston is charting accounts of Wittgenstein’s thoughts and activities, exactly one hundred years after the event. See www.wittgensteinchronology.com

He hopes his postings might be of interest to people who want to follow Wittgenstein’s intellectual development (up to the publication of the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, at least). Preston is trying to include what is known about his activities on every day where we know what he was doing (from his own letters, Russell’s letters, Wittgenstein’s notebook entries, etc.).
 

'Mädchenkopf' (Girl's Head) by Ludwig Wittgenstein, about 1927; painted (and glazed?) terracotta; Height 39.5 cm, Width 20 cm; owned by Volksbank GHB Kärnten, Klagenfurt.

'Girl's Head' is Wittgenstein's only known sculpture. It may be a portrait of Marguerite Respinger (1904–2000). It was probably made in the studio of the sculptor Michael Drobil (1877–1958). Wittgenstein and he became friends when they were both prisoners of war (1918/19).

The head was displayed at the recently-held Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg (7-13 August 2011).
 

Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Norwegian retreat at Skjolden no longer exists, but his presence among the fjords is still felt 60 years after his death. An article by Lesley Chamberlain published in Standpoint magazine 11 October 2011, pp54-55 explains. The pdf version (1 Mb) is available on this link with the magazine's and the author's permission.