Wittgenstein in Polish Galicia: The Life and Thought Behind the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

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Dr Urszula Idziak-Smoczynska (Jagiellonian University, Poland.)

Wittgenstein in Polish Galicia

The Life and Thought Behind the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

Dr Urszula Idziak-Smoczynska (Jagiellonian University, Poland.)

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Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
11 December 2025

European history; Philosophy; Analytical philosophy & Logical Positivism; Philosophy of religion; History of ideas

A deeply researched account of Wittgenstein’s wartime experiences and reading during 1914-1917, revealing numerous previously unknown yet vital details about his work on the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.

Delving into Wittgenstein’s recently-published in English wartime private diaries, Urszula Idziak-Smoczynska offers unique insight into a pivotal period in Wittgenstein’s life, when he completed his ground-breaking work in logic and underwent a profound spiritual transformation that left an indelible mark on his future and his philosophical evolution.

She reconstructs the young Wittgenstein’s state of mind as he grappled with the challenges imposed by war. Tracing the roots of Wittgenstein’s spiritual sensibilities to works like William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience, Saint Augustine’s Confessions, and Nietzsche’s writings, Idziak-Smoczynska explores his relationships with key figures of Austrian modernity, including Georg Trakl, Rainer Maria Rilke, L. von Ficker, and Adolf Loos.

As Wittgenstein actively participated in significant offensives on the Eastern Front, including Dankl’s offensive, the Brusilov offensive, and the Kerensky offensive of Revolutionary Russia, we enter into a compelling dialogue with the influential literary and philosophical works that shaped his thinking in such close proximity to the battlefield: the Bible, novels by Keller, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky.

This important exploration of Wittgenstein’s formative years is essential reading, shedding light on Wittgenstein’s philosophical journey and highlighting his role in a broader context—as one of the major intellectuals and artists who struggled in the First World War and went on to shape the postwar scientific and artistic landscape

By: Dr Urszula Idziak-Smoczynska (Jagiellonian University Poland.)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 22mm
Weight: 620g
ISBN: 9781350511965
ISBN 10: 135051196X
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 11 December 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

PROLOGUE WHY WAR AND RELIGION? 1. FIRST NOTEBOOK OF THE WAR PERIOD 2. SECOND JOURNAL OF THE WAR PERIOD 3. THIRD JOURNAL OF THE WAR PERIOD 4.ETHICAL REVERSE OF THE TRACTATUS 5. THE END - THE GRAMMAR OF COLOR AS A GRAMMAR OF FAITH SUPPLEMENT: MARRANISM AS WITTGENSTEIN'S RELIGIOUS POINT OF VIEW AFTERWORD BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

Urszula Idziak-Smoczynska is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Religion Studies in the Department of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University, Poland.