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Uqam Plan De Cours UQAM PLAN DE COURS PHI-4019 Gr. 10 WITTGENSTEIN Professeurs : François LATRAVERSE Mathieu MARION Alain VOIZARD Disponibilités : Sur rendez-vous Lundi 14h00 à 17h00 Local : A-2590 DESCRIPTION (du cours selon l'annuaire) Étude globale de la pensée de Wittgenstein et de son influence déterminante sur le cours de la philosophie occidentale, de manière à apprécier l'essentiel de son apport. CONTENU DU COURS Introduction générale à la pensée de Ludwig Wittgenstein (Vienne 1889 - Cambridge 1951). Cette introduction se fera à travers la lecture des textes de l'auteur au programme. Très prolifique, Wittgenstein a écrit beaucoup sur la philosophie de la logique, du langage et des mathématiques, mais il a aussi écrit sur la philosophie de la psychologie, l’éthique, l'esthétique, la philosophie des sciences, des probabilités etc. Ses contributions les plus significatives se retrouvent toutefois en philosophie de la logique, du langage et des mathématiques. C'est donc à partir des questions touchant ces domaines que nous aborderons sa pensée. La discussion de certaines problématiques précises et importantes nous entraînera à faire quelques petits détours en philosophie de la psychologie, en esthétique et autres. Nous commencerons par l'étude du Tractatus logico-philosophicus (achevé en août 1918, mais publié sous une forme acceptable en 1922) dont l'importance et l'impact philosophique ont été gigantesques pour presque toute la philosophie du XXe siècle. Afin de bien comprendre cette œuvre nous devrons cependant en examiner préalablement les motivations. Cela nous permettra de situer Wittgenstein par rapport au milieu philosophique et intellectuel qui fut le sien au début du siècle; cela servira aussi d'introduction générale au travail de Wittgenstein. 1 Nous nous pencherons ensuite sur les critiques que Wittgenstein a lui-même adressées à cette œuvre de jeunesse. Une analyse un peu plus scrupuleuse de cette critique nous permettra d'évaluer les mérites et les limites de cette œuvre dont l'impact sur la philosophie analytique a été pour le moins importante. Ceci nous fournira l'occasion d'élargir un peu nos horizons de manière à englober les nouvelles préoccupations philosophiques de Wittgenstein. L'abandon du système du Tractatus sera pour nous achevé avec la lecture du deuxième et dernier texte publié du vivant de Wittgenstein : Quelques remarques sur la forme logique (1929). Ce court texte (38 petites pages en traduction française) nous permettra d'évaluer la portée du profond changement de perspective qui aura lieu dans son travail au début des années 1930. Dans un troisième temps, nous procéderons à une analyse des Recherches philosophiques (Philosophische Untersuchungen). On peut dire que le Tractatus et les Recherches forment le noyau dur de la pensée de Wittgenstein. Mais on ne peut certainement pas dire qu'après avoir lu ces œuvres on aura parcouru l'ensemble de sa pensée. C'est en partie l'analyse d'une question précise : l'analyse du concept de «suivre une règle» qui nous entraînera à regarder de plus près ce qui se passe du côté de la philosophie des mathématiques de Wittgenstein (notamment en ce qui a trait à la légitimité de la généralisation non restreinte de l'applicabilité du principe du tiers exclu), ainsi que du côté de sa philosophie de la psychologie (notamment les concepts de compréhension, d'intention etc.). OBJECTIFS GÉNÉRAUX La présentation visera à ce que les étudiantes et les étudiants se familiarisent avec la pensée de Wittgenstein. Ils devraient aussi être en mesure de situer l'auteur non pas seulement relativement à son époque et au milieu intellectuel qui fut le sien, mais ils devraient aussi être en mesure de reconnaître la portée, l'importance et l'originalité de la pensée de l'auteur relativement aux grands problèmes philosophiques classiques. Dans le cas de Wittgenstein, cette tâche s'avère assez aisée puisque, plus que la plupart des grands auteurs contemporains, Wittgenstein a souvent confronté d'un œil nouveau et à partir d'une position originale ces grands problèmes classiques. SPÉCIFIQUES Ce cours ne s'adressant pas spécifiquement à des étudiantes et étudiants qui commencent leurs études universitaires en philosophie, nous présupposons une formation philosophique telle que les étudiantes et étudiants ont la capacité de faire une lecture critique de textes philosophiques, de reconnaître et de synthétiser un argument philosophique et d'argumenter rationnellement sur la base d'une question bien définie sans en trop déborder. Les 2 étudiantes et étudiants ne devraient donc pas s'attendre à ce que nous nous arrêtions pour traiter explicitement de ces questions méthodologiques. On pourra en revanche s'attendre à acquérir une maîtrise philosophique et technique de certaines questions qui traversent, à peu de choses près, l'ensemble de ce qu’on appelle la philosophie analytique. C'est-à-dire que les étudiantes et étudiants pourront, au terme de ce cours, non seulement maîtriser la pensée et circonscrire la position philosophique de Wittgenstein relativement aux questions abordées, mais ils pourront aussi situer les problématiques abordées dans cette tradition philosophique. Cela signifie qu’ils acquerront la capacité d'adopter une position critique, rationnelle et nuancée vis-à-vis de questions qui débordent les seules préoccupations philosophiques de Wittgenstein. On devrait aussi pouvoir atteindre à une bonne compréhension de certains problèmes philosophiques qui animent la philosophie analytique contemporaine. Les étudiantes et étudiants peuvent donc espérer terminer ce cours avec les connaissances nécessaires pour reconnaître l'importance de certains des problèmes qui motivent le travail philosophique des auteurs de la tradition analytique. Nous espérons non seulement faire reconnaître l'importance et l'originalité de la pensée de Wittgenstein, mais aussi faire apprécier l'importance des questions qui l'ont préoccupé et qui continuent d'interpeller les philosophes de tradition analytique. TYPE D'ACTIVITÉS D'ENSEIGNEMENT Exposés magistraux pendant lesquels les étudiantes et étudiants sont invité(e)s à intervenir pour discuter la matière au programme ainsi que les textes dont la lecture sera suggérée. Certaines périodes seront consacrées à la discussion des questions présentées. Nous préférons cependant que cela se fasse spontanément afin de mieux répondre aux attentes des étudiantes et étudiants, nous ne prévoyons donc pas découper systématiquement chaque séance en une période d'exposé magistral suivie d'une période de discussion. ÉVALUATION a) Un travail d'environ 5 pages dans lequel il s'agira de répondre à une question tirée d'une liste qui sera distribuée. Ces questions porteront sur de courts extraits de textes de Wittgenstein. Les références pour chacune des questions aux textes de Wittgenstein seront données en même temps que la question. Il s'agira donc, somme toute, d'un exercice philosophique consistant à reproduire l'essentiel d'un argument philosophique en ses propres termes. 20% de la note finale à rendre au retour de la semaine de lecture (31.10.11). b) Une dissertation (15 à 20 pages) sur un sujet, une question, ou encore un thème directement en rapport avec le cours et, évidemment, sur Wittgenstein. Les sujets de dissertation devront être approuvés (cela dans le but d'éviter que certains 3 travaillent sur des sujets trop éloignés de ce qui fera l'essentiel du cours). Des sujets seront proposés. 45% de la note finale, à rendre au dernier cours. c) Un examen final. Il s'agira alors de répondre à quelques questions tirées d'une liste de questions préparatoires qui sera distribuée lors de la douzième séance. Le but de cet examen sera de contrôler la maîtrise de la matière qui aura été présentée en cours. 35% de la note finale. CALENDRIER Date Contenu Lectures Prof. FL, Présentation du plan de 12.09.11 MM, cours. Entente d'évaluation AV Introduction générale. La vie et l’œuvre de Wittgenstein. Contexte historique : l’homme 19.09.11 FL viennois et le philosophe de Cambridge. Problèmes d’édition et d’accès à l’œuvre. Tractatus logico- 26.09.11 Tractatus philosophicus, trad. FL François Latraverse Tractatus logico- 03.10.11 Tractatus philosophicus, trad. AV François Latraverse Tractatus logico- philosophicus, trad. 17.10.11 Tractatus François Latraverse et MM « Conférence sur l’éthique ». 24.10.11 Semaine de lecture 4 Le problème des couleurs dans Quelques remarques « Quelques remarques sur sur la forme logique et la forme logique », 31.10.11 l’abandon du Tractatus, MM Remarques philosophiques l’idée d’une chapitres I-VIII phénoménologie et son abandon subséquent. La Grammaire Grammaire philosophique, 07.11.11 philosophique : nécessité, AV 1e partie, chapitres VI à X expérience et ‘grammaire’. La philosophie des mathématiques : la question Grammaire philosophique, des fondements des 2e partie, chapitres III et V; mathématiques, la critique 14.11.11 Remarques sur les MM du logicisme de Frege et fondements des Russell, et les rapports au mathématiques, 3e partie. finitisme et à l’intuitionnisme. Les Recherches philosophiques. La conception augustinienne, les ressemblances de 21.11.11 famille, la définition Recherches philosophiques ostensive, la signification §§ 1-79 FL comme usage et la compréhension, les jeux de langage. Qu'est-ce que suivre une règle? Le ‘Kripkenstein’. Recherches philosophiques AV 28.11.11 L'argument contre la §§ 143-242 définition ostensive privée MM (langage privé). 5 L'argument contre la définition ostensive privée (langage privé; suite et fin). Recherches philosophiques 05.12.11 AV Critique du soi-disant §§ 244-271 ‘béhaviorisme logique’ de Wittgenstein De la certitude. Récapitulation et FL, AV, 12.12.11 De la certitude conclusion. La nature de la MM philosophie 19.12.11 Examen BIBLIOGRAPHIE TEXTES DE WITTGENSTEIN (plus ou moins en ordre chronologique) Les textes de Wittgenstein disponibles sont regroupés dans le « Nachlass » (Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge), dont ont été périodiquement tirés les matériaux des diverses œuvres publiées. Une édition (électronique) faite à l’Université de Bergen (Norvège) et couvrant l’ensemble des textes (textes originaux et transcriptions) tels que répertoriés par G.
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