Tosh's Inspiration

 

Tosh's Inspiration

Tosh's Critique of Pure Reason

 

Tosh's Critique of Pure Reason

My Stoical Soul (In These Desperate Times)

 

My Stoical Soul (In These Desperate Times)

Tosh on Wittgenstein

 

Tosh on Wittgenstein

Tosh Berman on "Private Notebooks 1914-1916 by Ludwig Wittgenstein

 

Tosh Berman on Private Notebooks 1914-1916 by Ludwig Wittgenstein

"On Certainty" by Ludwig Wittgenstein (Harper Torchbooks)

Reading Ludwig Wittgenstein is a series of moments when one thinks of language and what it truly means.  'I think there is a tree' and 'there's a tree' is a vast difference, that can fit an entire universe. Or at the very least in the world of Wittgenstein.  For me, I 'think' I understand Wittgenstein, but the lasting impression he has on me as a writer is to write as clearly as possible, but without surrendering the poetics in a specific description.  

For inspiration and getting my brain exercised in a natural manner, unlike reading the tweets of a specific idiot in a building in Washington DC, is my spring water that is Wittgenstein.  "On Certainty" is later Wittgenstein, and the title is actually an exact and accurate description of the book.  Wittgenstein challenges the notion of being certain through language and what one sees.  What is perhaps a given factor knowledge is in theory, challenged by Wittgenstein's observations on what certainty means to an individual or even group.  

I bought this book at John K. King Books in Detroit, Michigan.  I started reading "On Certainty" in a coffee shop in the New Center, which is a district in Detroit.  Actually in the Fisher Building.   The juxtaposition of reading this difficult book in a splendid structure was an additional pleasure for me.  Me 'being' there, or thinking I was there, is an actual thought in my head as I did know I was truly at the Fisher Building, reading Wittgenstein's "On Certainty."

- Tosh Berman

"Zettel" by Ludwig Wittgenstein Edited by G.E.M. Anscombe & G.H. von Wright (University of California Press)

ISBN: 978-0-520-25244-8

"Zettel" by Ludwig Wittgenstein is a collection of short writings that were put in a filing cabinet by the author, and later collected by G.E.M. Anscombe and G.H. von Wright. Wittgenstein is probably the most difficult, but yet, enjoyable read for me. As a writer, I often think of him as a role model of sorts. The way he looks at the world is unique, and his thinking of what an image is and what is the thought of that image has a profound effect on me. And again, I may have misread him, and made my own version of Wittgenstein!

I usually re-read his pocket size statements or observations twice. But in the long run, I think it's good to read him straight through, and not worry about getting 'it' on the first try. He's a philosopher where it's best to meditate on his words and the meaning of his sentences through your own dear time. "The limitlessness of the visual field is clearest when we are seeing nothing in complete darkness." That statement stays in my mind the most because I find myself writing in a state of mind that is very much a dark void. I then fill that space with words, that is usually connected to something visual or a sensuality of an object of some sort.

Wittgenstein didn't write a lot. Some of his 'literature' is from his lectures in class. I'm presuming that this book is him working through his philosophy/thoughts. Which is another reason why I love Wittgenstein's work so much is that it's not about the answer, but the journey. He focuses on the senses, and how that communicate to our brain. His writing is not scientific, but almost poetry. In fact, I tend to look at him as a poet than anything else. 

- Tosh Berman

"Roland Barthes" by Andy Stafford (part of the Critical Lives series & published by Reaction Books)

ISBN: 978-1-78023-495-3 Reaction Books

"Roland Barthes" by Andy Stafford (Critical Lives series, published by Reaktion Books)

 Of all the French thinkers from the May 68 era (roughly) my favorite is Roland Barthes.  I identify with him because he's a writer/thinker who jumps from one subject matter to another.  Despite that, whatever he writes about, one can see a reflection of his personality on that subject matter he is covering.   When I first went to Japan, I brought with me a book about Japanese customs (very handy at the time) and Barthes' "Empires of Signs," which I think may be the best book on Japan from a foreigner, besides the great Donald Richie of course.  What interested me about that book is how he analyses what he saw in Japan, specifically food and sumo match, and how that 'read' to him.   It was no longer a book of facts, but almost an emotional as well as an observation on his part, and how he understood it.   That journey alone, is sometimes more interesting than the results.  So, I'm fascinated by Barthes technique and an excursion into another world of sorts.  His study on fashion and its publications is equally fascinating, because it is something I normally see, but often don't think about. 

Andy Stafford's book length study on the works of Barthes serves both as an introduction to his critical works, as well as a biography.   He pretty much goes through all his major or well-known books and essays to convey what was unique about Barthes and his writing.  Again, there seems to be always a memoir or autobiography at work, even through his various studies, and his mother for sure plays a huge role in his life.   Barthes was not exactly conservative, but he was a gay man who chose to live in the shadows, than say someone like Michel Foucault who was not only 'out, ' but also a forceful personality.   He was also a man who was critical of the 'Left' as well as pretty much agreeing with a lot of their agenda.  In truth, Barthes was a man on his own.  

On a personal level, I often think of Barthes when I'm writing.  I too have a deep interest in the world around me, but I seem to have a need to put my individual stamp on what I have seen or observed.  The act of writing is an activity where one explores their inner world, as they look outward. The results are sometimes not on the page, but the journey itself.  I like Roland Barthes for that reason.  Stafford committed a good introduction to this unique thinker.