MS 147

C3

General note on C1-8

The so-called C-series of notebooks comprises 8 notebooks. The only reasons why these notebooks were grouped together (not by Wittgenstein himself, but by the trustees of his papers) seem to be the following: they are the same size, they contain the same number of pages (96), and they date back to the same period of Wittgenstein’s work (1933-36). The order (1 to 8) is more or less in accord with the chronological order in which they were written.

            Even though it is tempting to associate “C” with Cambridge, no real reason for this name is known. The association with Cambridge is particularly tempting in view of the fact that several of these notebooks contain material written in preparation of Wittgenstein’s classes or dictations. But there is no evidence whatsoever that the name “C” was used by Wittgenstein himself.

The first page proper of C3 is dated “Anfang Februar 34” (early February 1934). Here, the discussion of negation that was begun on the last pages of C2 is continued. Again, a good deal of the material developed up to p. 14v of C3 corresponds to remarks in MS 115_i (pp. 62-71). This is followed by reflections on the use of first-person expressions (“solipsism”). Some of these remarks are in English.

            This part of the manuscript is (from p. 27r) followed by notes evidently made in preparation for dictations that were to become the Blue Book (cf. the geometrical eye [Blue and Brown Books, p. 64], the case of Jekyll & Hyde [ibid., p. 62], etc.). Towards the end of C3, there are a few additional remarks that were transferred into MS 115_i (C3, pp. 45r-v, cf. MS 115_i, pp. 89 & 92).

            The last pages of C3 are in English: evidently these notes were written in preparation for dictations of what was to become the Brown Book (e.g. on “experiences of reading”).

            Two remarks from C3 were printed in Vermischte Bemerkungen / Culture and Value.