Books by Lassi Jakola
Philosophical Studies from the University of Helsinki, Jan 27, 2023
This doctoral dissertation in Social and Moral Philosophy (University of Helsinki) consists of fi... more This doctoral dissertation in Social and Moral Philosophy (University of Helsinki) consists of five articles and an introductory chapter. The dissertation is a study of Georg Henrik von Wright’s (1916–2003) philosophical treatise The Varieties of Goodness (1963), which has been unduly neglected in later developments of philosophical ethics and theory of value. The first, value-theoretical half of The Varieties of Goodness contains an examination of the conceptual varieties of goodness, or of the different ways of employing the word “good” in language. Von Wright distinguishes six basic varieties: 'instrumental', 'technical', 'utilitarian', 'medical' and 'hedonic goodness', and 'the good of some being'. The second half of the book contains von Wright’s (normative) moral philosophy, which consists of a series of explications of concepts familiar from traditional philosophical ethics, such as 'moral goodness', 'virtue', 'moral duty' and 'justice'.
The dissertation has three objectives: (i) to revisit and discuss von Wright’s basic value-theoretical ideas and proposals, (ii) to give an account of von Wright’s moral philosophy, and (iii) to relate his views to select other currents of the mid 20th century ethics. The scholarly approach is a combination of historical contextualization and (philosophical) critical reconstruction. The research utilizes unpublished archival materials and correspondence.
Introduction examines von Wrights basic philosophical proposals and sums up critically the main lines of his moral philosophy. This is done, first, by identifying and discussing a number of axiological and moral-philosophical 'Grundgedanken' (basic ideas) and their repercussions, and second, by giving an overview of von Wright’s explicative accounts of moral notions. I suggest that von Wright’s normative moral philosophy is an early example of a welfarist position in ethics. I also argue that some of his basic ideas still provide illuminating perspectives to philosophical disputes. On the critical side, I point out that some of these ideas are open to different interpretations and that some of von Wright’s methodological presuppositions are problematic.
In the Articles, The Varieties of Goodness is approached from various angles. Article I discusses von Wright’s conception of philosophy and the analytical method that is used in charting the varieties of goodness. Article II focuses on one of the key ideas of von Wright’s moral-philosophical endeavour: the idea that moral goodness is a non-autonomous form of goodness 'in search of a meaning'. Article III discusses the notion of 'the good of man' (human welfare), which is a pivotal notion in von Wright’s explication of moral value. Articles IV and V are devoted to the relation between The Varieties of Goodness and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s (1889–1951) philosophical heritage. Article IV traces the development of von Wright’s work in the 1950s and shows how his philosophical approach is variously indebted to Wittgenstein’s late work. Article V contains a thorough criticism of James Klagge’s recent interpretation of von Wright’s and Wittgenstein’s views on the varieties of goodness.
Due to copyright reasons, this PDF version of the dissertation contains the introductory chapter only. Some of the articles are available separately on my Academia page.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Edited Book by Lassi Jakola
This edited volume brings together a comprehensive set of writings by G. H. von Wright (1916–2003... more This edited volume brings together a comprehensive set of writings by G. H. von Wright (1916–2003) that concern Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) and his philosophy. The writings of this collection were written or published between 1936 and 2001 in von Wright's native language, Swedish. The material includes scientific articles, memorabilia, biographical texts, chapters from philosophical textbooks, newspaper articles, letters, and some unpublished archive materials.
The collection contains an Introduction by the editors Lassi Jakola and Thomas Wallgren, and a Contextualising Essay "Von Wright som Port till Wittgenstein" by Lassi Jakola. Each item is presented in a short editorial note by Lassi Jakola.
The book is freely available as an online edition at https://vonwright.sls.fi/ and may be downloaded as a epub file at https://www.sls.fi/sites/default/files/publications/epub/2708.epub
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Articles by Lassi Jakola
Ajatus, 2023
This obituary, written in Finnish, concisely revisits the life and major scholarly contributions ... more This obituary, written in Finnish, concisely revisits the life and major scholarly contributions of the Finnish classicist and internationally esteemed Plato scholar Holger Thesleff (1924–2023), who passed away on 3 October 2023 at the age of 98. The obituary was published in the yearbook of the Philosophical Society of Finland, Ajatus.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Pihlström, Ahokas & Niiniluoto (toim): Suomen Filosofinen Yhdistys 1873–2023: 150 vuotta suomalaisen filosofian historiaa, Dec 8, 2023
Artikkeli käsittelee Suomen Filosofisen Yhdistyksen vaiheita G. H. von Wrightin (1916–2003) puhee... more Artikkeli käsittelee Suomen Filosofisen Yhdistyksen vaiheita G. H. von Wrightin (1916–2003) puheenjohtajakaudella 1962–1973. Johdantoa (osio I) seuraava taustoittava osio (II) pohjustaa käsittelyä esittelemällä SFY:n toiminnan muotoja Oiva Ketosen puheenjohtajakaudella 1952–1961, von Wrightin intellektuaalista profiilia ja yleisiä suuntaviivoja ajan tiedepolitiikassa. Osio III tarjoaa yleiskatsauksen SFY:n toiminnasta ja aktiviteeteistä von Wrightin kaudella. Erityistä huomiota kiinnitetään yhdistyksen toiminnan laajentumiseen sekä kansainväliseen että kansalliseen suuntaan, mikä tulee esiin erityisesti toiminnan uusissa muodoissa sekä julkaisupolitiikan painotuksissa. Osio IV rikastaa muodostuvaa kuvaa tuomalla mukaan yhteiskunnallisen ja tiedepoliittisen ulottuvuuden: vuoden 1973 dramaattisessa vuosikokouksessa SFY:ssä tapahtui vallanvaihto, jossa puheenjohtajaksi äänestettiin opiskelijoiden tuella Lauri Routila (1934–2020). Äänestyksessä tappion kärsi von Wrightin seuraajakseen ajama Jaakko Hintikka (1929–2015). Artikkelissa eritellään tämän kehityskulun syitä ja sen taustalla vaikuttavia yleisempiä filosofia- ja tiedepoliittisia kysymyksenasetteluita. Yhteenvetävä Osio V käsittelee vuoden 1973 vuosikokousta seuraavaa periaatteellista keskustelua, jonka keskiössä oli kysymys siitä, tulisiko Suomen Filosofisen Yhdistyksen ensisijaisesti tukea filosofian tutkijoita vai edistää filosofisen harrastuksen laajempaa kenttää.
Artikkeli on julkaistu joulukuussa 2023 Suomen Filosofisen Yhdistyksen 150-vuotista historiaa kartoittavassa, Sami Pihlströmin, Lari Ahokkaan ja Ilkka Niiniluodon toimittamassa teoksessa "Suomen Filosofinen Yhdistys 1873–2023: 150 vuotta suomalaisen filosofian historiaa" (SFY: Helsinki). Teos on saatavissa open-access muodossa alla olevasta linkistä.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The Creation of Wittgenstein (ed. Thomas Wallgren), 2023
The writings from the last two years of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s life have been made available in th... more The writings from the last two years of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s life have been made available in three thematically organized publications: On Certainty (1969), Remarks on Colour (1977) and Last Writings on the Philosophy of Psychology, vol. 2: The Inner and the outer, 1949–51 (1992). Some material from this period is also included in Vermischte Bemerkungen (1977). The article focuses on the editorial policies and decisions behind this publication strategy, giving an overview of each posthumous edition in relation to their underlying manuscript material. On the basis of archival materials and correspondence, it is shown that the editions as we know them mainly represent Elizabeth Anscombe’s editorial vision. However, both G. H. von Wright and Rush Rhees made substantial proposals concerning the publication format. The editorial history of Wittgenstein’s ‘last writings’ is thus a particularly interesting case study of editorial dialogue, exhibiting also the characteristic differences in Anscombe’s, von Wright’s and Rhees’s respective editorial approaches to Wittgenstein’s writings.
The article has been published as a chapter in the volume 'The Creation of Wittgenstein', edited by Thomas Wallgren (Bloomsbury) (2023). See https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/creation-of-wittgenstein-9781350121096/
The version made available here is the author manuscript of the article, which, having coloured source-graphs, differs minorly from the published version.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Arctos, 2021
Taking Plato’s uses of the noun σῶμα as a starting point, this article presents an overview of th... more Taking Plato’s uses of the noun σῶμα as a starting point, this article presents an overview of the development of the Greek concept of body/σῶμα from Homer to the early 4th Century BCE by examining the uses of the word σῶμα in Greek poetry and literature. Four stations of the term’s semantic development are identified: (i) σῶμα as a corpse or a body of a moribund living being, (ii) σῶμα as a living mortal being, (iii) σῶμα in contrast with its parts and (iv) σῶμα in abstraction. It is argued that the development may be viewed as a continuous extension of the scope of the term, where none of the previous uses become obsolete. The Stations (iii) and (iv) also testify of an emergence of a new, abstract criterion for the use of the term. This conceptual history also partly explains the multifaceted use of the word in the 4th century BCE, setting the stage for further developments.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Nordic Wittgenstein Review, 2021
Abstract: Part II of this contribution makes available materials preserved of G. H. von Wright's ... more Abstract: Part II of this contribution makes available materials preserved of G. H. von Wright's hitherto unknown edition of Ludwig Wittgenstein's last writings (1949-51) from 1967-68. The edition was never published. The underlying MS material (MS 169-177) was, instead, published in four different edited volumes in 1969, 1977 and 1992. Part I, an introduction to the archival items, contextualizes von Wright's edition historically, presents a reconstruction of its structure, compares it with the published volumes, and discusses reasons for its abandonment.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Sats, Nov 30, 2020
Abstract: This article revisits G. H. von Wright’s 1963 proposal of a ‘broad approach to ethics’ ... more Abstract: This article revisits G. H. von Wright’s 1963 proposal of a ‘broad approach to ethics’ and his idea that moral goodness is a non-autonomous form of goodness ‘in search of a meaning’. In von Wright’s view, moral notions are to be examined in a broad framework consisting of various groups of ethically relevant concepts. This framework is described and some connections to Elizabeth Anscombe’s work in the late 1950s are identified. It is argued that von Wright’s broadly construed ethics provides tools for understanding contextual and temporal variation of ‘moral points of view’ and puts traditional ideas concerning the nature of moral philosophy in a new light. However, von Wright failed to draw all the consequences of his own suggestions: accordingly, it is suggested that we have to abandon his view of a philosopher as a ‘moulder’ of concepts for a more context-oriented and elucidative conception of moral philosophy.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Nordic Wittgenstein Review, 2020
Abstract:
This essay traces the development of Georg Henrik von Wright’s (1916–2003) work in th... more Abstract:
This essay traces the development of Georg Henrik von Wright’s (1916–2003) work in the theory of values from the early 1950s to the publication of The Varieties of Goodness (1963), with special focus on the influences stemming from Ludwig Wittgenstein’s (1889–1951) later thought. In 1952, von Wright published an essay suggesting a formal analysis of the concept of value. This attempt was soon abandoned. The change of approach took place at the time von Wright started his work on Wittgenstein’s Nachlass. This preoccupation with Wittgenstein led to a new approach to value judgments in 1954, with strong late-Wittgensteinian influences on methodical as well as stylistic levels. Some important traces of the 1954 approach are still visible in The Varieties of Goodness, while the stylistic imitations and allusions have mostly been dropped. But in the late 1950s, new connections to Wittgenstein’s later thought emerge: an aim to provide a “surveyable (re)presentation” (cf. PI: §122) of the varieties of goodness, i.e. the various different but interrelated uses of the word “good” in language and an aspiration to make analytical philosophy something more than a “collection of material for academic controversy”.
The article is available at the journal's website at https://www.nordicwittgensteinreview.com/article/view/3546
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Philosophical Investigations, 2020
Abstract: James C. Klagge (2018) readings of G. H. von Wright’s and Wittgenstein’s views concerni... more Abstract: James C. Klagge (2018) readings of G. H. von Wright’s and Wittgenstein’s views concerning goodness and family resemblance are criticised and new interpretations are provided: Pace Klagge, (i) von Wright’s arguments against goodness as a family-resemblance concept do not concern cases of goodness but the interrelations between the conceptual varieties of goodness; (ii) Wittgenstein did not endorse a ‘constitutivist account of goodness’ in his 1933 lectures; and (iii) Wittgenstein did not come close to Stevenson’s emotivism in his Philosophical Investigations. Rather, Wittgenstein’s later remarks on goodness may be read as ‘objects of comparison’ (PI §130), implying no strong theoretical commitments.
The final version of the article is available at the website of 'Philosophical Investigations' at https://doi.org/10.1111/phin.12250 .
The enclosed PDF is the final author version of the article, submitted to Philosophical Investigations in August 2019.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Aigis – nordisk tidsskrift for klassiske studier, 2019
In this article, written in Swedish, I discuss Gorgias of Leontinoi's (5th century BCE) conceptio... more In this article, written in Swedish, I discuss Gorgias of Leontinoi's (5th century BCE) conception of logos, as it is presented in his speech Encomium of Helen and elsewhere. I point out that Gorgias' analysis focuses on various ways logos, as speech or language, modifies and shapes the human soul – especially doxa, i.e. human conceptions and beliefs concerning past, present and future. This dynamic view of logos has its fundament in facts of human beings: limited as we are in our epistemic capacities, we often have to rely on doxa instead of true knowledge. Thus logos may often be used to manipulate and cheat: but Gorgias' conception also implies that logos may be used to attain truth. In this sense it seems to precede some later Platonic and Aristotelian articulations, in which logos is seen as medium in which truth is searched and strived for.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
On the Human Condition – Essays in Honour of Georg Henrik Wright's Centennial Anniversary, 2017
Published in Ilkka Niiniluoto & Thomas Wallgren (ed.): On the Human Condition – Essays in Honour ... more Published in Ilkka Niiniluoto & Thomas Wallgren (ed.): On the Human Condition – Essays in Honour of Georg Henrik von Wright’s Centennial Anniversary, Acta Philosophica Fennica vol. 93, Societas Philosophica Fennica, Helsinki, 2017. Pp. 269–290.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Hämäläinen, Nora; Lemetti, Juhana; Niiniluoto, Ilkka (eds.) (2014): Hyve. Filosofisia tutkimuksia Helsingin yliopistosta 45., 2014
This paper studies the different dimensions of Georg Henrik von Wright's analytical treatment of ... more This paper studies the different dimensions of Georg Henrik von Wright's analytical treatment of the concept of Moral Goodness in his Varieties of Goodness (1963). It is argued that von Wright gives two different answers to the nature of moral goodness: the first being a descriptive account of moral goodness as a "concept in search of meaning", the second an explicative account (or proposal of definition) of moral goodness as an attribute of acts that promote human welfare.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Lectures and Presentations by Lassi Jakola
This public and open lecture was given on 14 February 2023 at the University of Helsinki as an in... more This public and open lecture was given on 14 February 2023 at the University of Helsinki as an introductory lecture on the occasion of the public defence of my doctoral dissertation in Social and Moral Philosophy: "The Philosophy of The Varieties of Goodness (1963): Essays on G. H. von Wright’s Theory of Value and Moral Philosophy". The opponent in the public defense was Prof. Hans-Johann Glock (Zürich) and Prof. Antti Kauppinen (Helsinki) acted as the Custos (chair).
A Finnish version of this lecture has been published in the yearbook of the Philosophical Society of Finland, Ajatus 80 (2023). Here, both the Finnish and the English version are made available.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Book Reviews by Lassi Jakola
Arctos, 2017
A review of David D. Corey's book "The Sophists in Plato's Dialogues" (2015). Published in Arctos... more A review of David D. Corey's book "The Sophists in Plato's Dialogues" (2015). Published in Arctos 51, 258–261.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Arctos, 2017
Eine Rezension von Francesco Donadi's Ausgabe "Helenae encomium, Petrus Bembus: Gorgiae Leontini ... more Eine Rezension von Francesco Donadi's Ausgabe "Helenae encomium, Petrus Bembus: Gorgiae Leontini in Helenam laudatio", Bibliotheca Teubneriana, 2016. Publiziert in Arctos 51 (2017), 227-229.
A review (in German) of Francesco Donadi's edition of Gorgias' Speech "Encomium of Helen", Helenae encomium, Petrus Bembus: Gorgiae Leontini in Helenam laudatio, Bibliotheca Teubneriana 2016. Published in Arctos 51, 227–229.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Arctos, 2016
A review of David M. Timmerman – Edward Schiappa: Classical Greek Rhetorical Theory and the Disci... more A review of David M. Timmerman – Edward Schiappa: Classical Greek Rhetorical Theory and the Disciplining of Discourse. Cambridge University Press, New York 2010. ISBN 978-0-521-19518-8.
Published in Arctos 50, 2016, pp. 197–200.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Theses by Lassi Jakola
This essay, handed in as a thesis in minor subject in Theoretical Philosophy, discusses the possi... more This essay, handed in as a thesis in minor subject in Theoretical Philosophy, discusses the possible relevance of literal form and style in reading and giving a balanced interpretation of Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
In this master's thesis of mine I discuss Georg Henrik von Wright's philosophical approach to que... more In this master's thesis of mine I discuss Georg Henrik von Wright's philosophical approach to questions of ethics and value theory in his Varieties of Goodness (1963). My approach is threefold: (i) Historically, I argue, Varieties of Goodness can be viewed as an answer to emotivist theories of value. In this respect, von Wright's approach is closely related to the so-called ordinary language philosophy and was inspired by Wittgenstein's later philosophy. (ii) I have a close look at what von Wright says about his own philosophical approach in various writings. (iii) I provide an account of what analytical methods von Wright puts into use in his analytical treatment of the various "varieties" of goodness.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
In this master's thesis (written in Finnish) from 2014 I provide an analysis and discussion of He... more In this master's thesis (written in Finnish) from 2014 I provide an analysis and discussion of Hesiod's famous myth of the five races of man, as it appears in his Works and Days. I review and criticize some common approaches to the myth and argue for a text-based reading of the myth. According to my view the myth consists of two main parts, a contrastive and historical part. Furthermore, I argue that Hesiod has integrated the myth carefully into the narrative structure of his Works and Days.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Books by Lassi Jakola
The dissertation has three objectives: (i) to revisit and discuss von Wright’s basic value-theoretical ideas and proposals, (ii) to give an account of von Wright’s moral philosophy, and (iii) to relate his views to select other currents of the mid 20th century ethics. The scholarly approach is a combination of historical contextualization and (philosophical) critical reconstruction. The research utilizes unpublished archival materials and correspondence.
Introduction examines von Wrights basic philosophical proposals and sums up critically the main lines of his moral philosophy. This is done, first, by identifying and discussing a number of axiological and moral-philosophical 'Grundgedanken' (basic ideas) and their repercussions, and second, by giving an overview of von Wright’s explicative accounts of moral notions. I suggest that von Wright’s normative moral philosophy is an early example of a welfarist position in ethics. I also argue that some of his basic ideas still provide illuminating perspectives to philosophical disputes. On the critical side, I point out that some of these ideas are open to different interpretations and that some of von Wright’s methodological presuppositions are problematic.
In the Articles, The Varieties of Goodness is approached from various angles. Article I discusses von Wright’s conception of philosophy and the analytical method that is used in charting the varieties of goodness. Article II focuses on one of the key ideas of von Wright’s moral-philosophical endeavour: the idea that moral goodness is a non-autonomous form of goodness 'in search of a meaning'. Article III discusses the notion of 'the good of man' (human welfare), which is a pivotal notion in von Wright’s explication of moral value. Articles IV and V are devoted to the relation between The Varieties of Goodness and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s (1889–1951) philosophical heritage. Article IV traces the development of von Wright’s work in the 1950s and shows how his philosophical approach is variously indebted to Wittgenstein’s late work. Article V contains a thorough criticism of James Klagge’s recent interpretation of von Wright’s and Wittgenstein’s views on the varieties of goodness.
Due to copyright reasons, this PDF version of the dissertation contains the introductory chapter only. Some of the articles are available separately on my Academia page.
Edited Book by Lassi Jakola
The collection contains an Introduction by the editors Lassi Jakola and Thomas Wallgren, and a Contextualising Essay "Von Wright som Port till Wittgenstein" by Lassi Jakola. Each item is presented in a short editorial note by Lassi Jakola.
The book is freely available as an online edition at https://vonwright.sls.fi/ and may be downloaded as a epub file at https://www.sls.fi/sites/default/files/publications/epub/2708.epub
Articles by Lassi Jakola
Artikkeli on julkaistu joulukuussa 2023 Suomen Filosofisen Yhdistyksen 150-vuotista historiaa kartoittavassa, Sami Pihlströmin, Lari Ahokkaan ja Ilkka Niiniluodon toimittamassa teoksessa "Suomen Filosofinen Yhdistys 1873–2023: 150 vuotta suomalaisen filosofian historiaa" (SFY: Helsinki). Teos on saatavissa open-access muodossa alla olevasta linkistä.
The article has been published as a chapter in the volume 'The Creation of Wittgenstein', edited by Thomas Wallgren (Bloomsbury) (2023). See https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/creation-of-wittgenstein-9781350121096/
The version made available here is the author manuscript of the article, which, having coloured source-graphs, differs minorly from the published version.
This essay traces the development of Georg Henrik von Wright’s (1916–2003) work in the theory of values from the early 1950s to the publication of The Varieties of Goodness (1963), with special focus on the influences stemming from Ludwig Wittgenstein’s (1889–1951) later thought. In 1952, von Wright published an essay suggesting a formal analysis of the concept of value. This attempt was soon abandoned. The change of approach took place at the time von Wright started his work on Wittgenstein’s Nachlass. This preoccupation with Wittgenstein led to a new approach to value judgments in 1954, with strong late-Wittgensteinian influences on methodical as well as stylistic levels. Some important traces of the 1954 approach are still visible in The Varieties of Goodness, while the stylistic imitations and allusions have mostly been dropped. But in the late 1950s, new connections to Wittgenstein’s later thought emerge: an aim to provide a “surveyable (re)presentation” (cf. PI: §122) of the varieties of goodness, i.e. the various different but interrelated uses of the word “good” in language and an aspiration to make analytical philosophy something more than a “collection of material for academic controversy”.
The article is available at the journal's website at https://www.nordicwittgensteinreview.com/article/view/3546
The final version of the article is available at the website of 'Philosophical Investigations' at https://doi.org/10.1111/phin.12250 .
The enclosed PDF is the final author version of the article, submitted to Philosophical Investigations in August 2019.
Lectures and Presentations by Lassi Jakola
A Finnish version of this lecture has been published in the yearbook of the Philosophical Society of Finland, Ajatus 80 (2023). Here, both the Finnish and the English version are made available.
Book Reviews by Lassi Jakola
A review (in German) of Francesco Donadi's edition of Gorgias' Speech "Encomium of Helen", Helenae encomium, Petrus Bembus: Gorgiae Leontini in Helenam laudatio, Bibliotheca Teubneriana 2016. Published in Arctos 51, 227–229.
Published in Arctos 50, 2016, pp. 197–200.
Theses by Lassi Jakola
The dissertation has three objectives: (i) to revisit and discuss von Wright’s basic value-theoretical ideas and proposals, (ii) to give an account of von Wright’s moral philosophy, and (iii) to relate his views to select other currents of the mid 20th century ethics. The scholarly approach is a combination of historical contextualization and (philosophical) critical reconstruction. The research utilizes unpublished archival materials and correspondence.
Introduction examines von Wrights basic philosophical proposals and sums up critically the main lines of his moral philosophy. This is done, first, by identifying and discussing a number of axiological and moral-philosophical 'Grundgedanken' (basic ideas) and their repercussions, and second, by giving an overview of von Wright’s explicative accounts of moral notions. I suggest that von Wright’s normative moral philosophy is an early example of a welfarist position in ethics. I also argue that some of his basic ideas still provide illuminating perspectives to philosophical disputes. On the critical side, I point out that some of these ideas are open to different interpretations and that some of von Wright’s methodological presuppositions are problematic.
In the Articles, The Varieties of Goodness is approached from various angles. Article I discusses von Wright’s conception of philosophy and the analytical method that is used in charting the varieties of goodness. Article II focuses on one of the key ideas of von Wright’s moral-philosophical endeavour: the idea that moral goodness is a non-autonomous form of goodness 'in search of a meaning'. Article III discusses the notion of 'the good of man' (human welfare), which is a pivotal notion in von Wright’s explication of moral value. Articles IV and V are devoted to the relation between The Varieties of Goodness and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s (1889–1951) philosophical heritage. Article IV traces the development of von Wright’s work in the 1950s and shows how his philosophical approach is variously indebted to Wittgenstein’s late work. Article V contains a thorough criticism of James Klagge’s recent interpretation of von Wright’s and Wittgenstein’s views on the varieties of goodness.
Due to copyright reasons, this PDF version of the dissertation contains the introductory chapter only. Some of the articles are available separately on my Academia page.
The collection contains an Introduction by the editors Lassi Jakola and Thomas Wallgren, and a Contextualising Essay "Von Wright som Port till Wittgenstein" by Lassi Jakola. Each item is presented in a short editorial note by Lassi Jakola.
The book is freely available as an online edition at https://vonwright.sls.fi/ and may be downloaded as a epub file at https://www.sls.fi/sites/default/files/publications/epub/2708.epub
Artikkeli on julkaistu joulukuussa 2023 Suomen Filosofisen Yhdistyksen 150-vuotista historiaa kartoittavassa, Sami Pihlströmin, Lari Ahokkaan ja Ilkka Niiniluodon toimittamassa teoksessa "Suomen Filosofinen Yhdistys 1873–2023: 150 vuotta suomalaisen filosofian historiaa" (SFY: Helsinki). Teos on saatavissa open-access muodossa alla olevasta linkistä.
The article has been published as a chapter in the volume 'The Creation of Wittgenstein', edited by Thomas Wallgren (Bloomsbury) (2023). See https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/creation-of-wittgenstein-9781350121096/
The version made available here is the author manuscript of the article, which, having coloured source-graphs, differs minorly from the published version.
This essay traces the development of Georg Henrik von Wright’s (1916–2003) work in the theory of values from the early 1950s to the publication of The Varieties of Goodness (1963), with special focus on the influences stemming from Ludwig Wittgenstein’s (1889–1951) later thought. In 1952, von Wright published an essay suggesting a formal analysis of the concept of value. This attempt was soon abandoned. The change of approach took place at the time von Wright started his work on Wittgenstein’s Nachlass. This preoccupation with Wittgenstein led to a new approach to value judgments in 1954, with strong late-Wittgensteinian influences on methodical as well as stylistic levels. Some important traces of the 1954 approach are still visible in The Varieties of Goodness, while the stylistic imitations and allusions have mostly been dropped. But in the late 1950s, new connections to Wittgenstein’s later thought emerge: an aim to provide a “surveyable (re)presentation” (cf. PI: §122) of the varieties of goodness, i.e. the various different but interrelated uses of the word “good” in language and an aspiration to make analytical philosophy something more than a “collection of material for academic controversy”.
The article is available at the journal's website at https://www.nordicwittgensteinreview.com/article/view/3546
The final version of the article is available at the website of 'Philosophical Investigations' at https://doi.org/10.1111/phin.12250 .
The enclosed PDF is the final author version of the article, submitted to Philosophical Investigations in August 2019.
A Finnish version of this lecture has been published in the yearbook of the Philosophical Society of Finland, Ajatus 80 (2023). Here, both the Finnish and the English version are made available.
A review (in German) of Francesco Donadi's edition of Gorgias' Speech "Encomium of Helen", Helenae encomium, Petrus Bembus: Gorgiae Leontini in Helenam laudatio, Bibliotheca Teubneriana 2016. Published in Arctos 51, 227–229.
Published in Arctos 50, 2016, pp. 197–200.