Project:FAQ

What is the Ludwig Wittgenstein Project?

The LWP is a free culture project which aims to make Wittgenstein’s writings that have previously appeared as books available online, in the original language and in translation, free of charge and with a free license. A short video introduction to the project is available:

What does the logo represent?

The beetle in the hexagon is a reference to paragraph 293 of the Philosophical Investigations (quoted below in G.E.M. Anscombe's 1953 translation, revised 1958), where Wittgenstein uses a vivid example to discuss the grammar of the expression of experiences:

Suppose everyone had a box with something in it: we call it a "beetle". No one can look into anyone else's box, and everyone says he knows what a beetle is only by looking at his beetle.—Here it would be quite possible for everyone to have something different in his box. One might even imagine such a thing constantly changing.—But suppose the word "beetle" had a use in these people's language?—If so it would not be used as the name of a thing. The thing in the box has no place in the language-game at all [...].

Can I get involved?

Of course! If you are a translator, an expert in Wittgenstein studies, a copyright nerd, or if you would simply like to spare some time to proofread texts, you are very welcome to send an e-mail to contribute@wittgensteinproject.org.

I found a mistake on the website. What should I do?

Please, let us know. Altough we put the greatest attention into our transcriptions and translations, it is almost unavoidable for some mistakes to survive, and we count on readers to point them out to us. Please write to contact@wittgensteinproject.org: just make sure you clearly indicate what is wrong in which text. If you are not comfortable writing in English, feel free to use Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Hindi or Russian: we will do our best to answer in the same language.

I can’t find the translation I’m looking for. Why is that?

Although most of Wittgenstein’s own writings are now in the public domain almost everywhere in the world, most translations are still copyrighted. For more information, see The copyright status of Wittgenstein’s works. The Ludwig Wittgenstein Project publishes translations that have entered the public domain, encourages translators and publishers to re-release existing translations under free licences, and provides support for voluteer translators who wish to publish their unpublished translations. Occasionally, we even manage to secure funding to commission new translations. Realistically, however, we will never achieve the goal of publishing all of Wittgenstein’s “works” in each and every language.

I can’t find the original-language text I’m looking for. Why is that?

The Ludwig Wittgenstein Project focuses on those among Wittgenstein’s writings which were published – mostly posthumously – as edited books. From this point of view its mission can be seen as complementary to that of other online projects such as the WAB’s IDP and SFB websites, which focus on transcriptions of the Nachlass itself. However, not all of Wittgenstein’s original-language texts that have been published as books are available on this website. If you can’t find the one you are looking for, this may be for one of two reasons:

Because we didn’t have the time and resources to digitise it and put it online yet;
Because, although Wittgenstein’s “raw” materials are in the public domain, the version of the text that was published as a book and which we would like to reproduce underwent an editing process which may mean that it is not out of copyright (for more information, see the essay Why are some of Wittgenstein’s texts missing from this website?).

In the former case, it might be a matter of a very short time before the text is published on this website; in the latter, a long time might have to go by before we achieve a greater degree of certainty about that text’s copyright status or the text eventually enters the public domain.

Can I trust the Ludwig Wittgenstein Project’s original tranlations to meet high quality standards?

The procedure we follow while preparing and publishing original translations is described in our Quality policy.

Is a press kit available?

It is. Click here to check it out.

Can I donate to the Project?

Unfortunately no, or at least not yet. We are just a website, and we do not have a legal status allowing us to accept donations. This might change in the future, so, if you are eager to chip in, please be sure to come back! (And thanks!)