In the range PHILOSOPHICA (I-IV), we translate the different items edited by J. Klagge & A. Nordmann and published in a single volume, under the title Philosophical Occasions (1914-1951)
The famous Lecture on Ethics was adressed to the “Heretics Society” in 1929. It is in fact an explanation (the only one Wittgenstein ever gave) of the Tractatus solution to the Lebensproblem.The Remarks on Frazer“Golden Bough” (first part : 1931, second part : probably late thirties) are critical notes taken by Wittgenstein when he was reading Frazer’s book. These notes are the first ones in which the « somehow anthropological view » claimed by the later Wittgenstein comes to light. The Lecture on the Freedom of the Will (probably 1939) aims to bring back the concepts of freedom, responsability, etc., from their « metaphysical use » to their « everyday use », in showing that the determinism involved in the explanatory ideal of newtonian sciences has an undue exertion of influence on us.
