Wittgenstein’s Remarks on Colour

‘In this astonishing work of scholarship, Andrew Lugg elucidates and interprets a neglected late work of Wittgenstein’s. Not a summary but an unfolding that sheds light on the text line by line while clearing away the debris of misunderstandings. Wittgenstein emerges as his students, friends and contemporaries knew him, a powerful figure riveted by philosophical questions.’ — Béla Szabados, University of Regina, Canada ‘The book is a significant contribution to the philosophy of colour. In the first detailed account of the origins, organization and arguments of Wittgenstein’s Remarks on Colour, Lugg discusses all remarks and argues that, in Wittgenstein’s view, colour concepts display logical necessities and logical impossibilities.’—Mauro L. Engelmann, The Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil ‘Lugg's new work is much welcome for scholars and non-scholars interested in Wittgenstein's work in general and in his intriguing and intricate remarks on colors, in particular. I do not know any other material which investigates Wittgenstein's important critical reactions to Goethe's Farbenlehre with such detailed examination. A treatment of what Wittgenstein says remark by remark is a great contribution for all students of philosophy interested in metaphysics, epistemology and aesthetics of colors. Lugg's new book will become a vital reference in virtually any work on Wittgenstein's philosophical development.’ —Marcos Silva, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. ‘This superbly researched and fascinating study of Wittgenstein’s widely neglected Remarks on Colour fills a major gap in Wittgenstein scholarship. Combining meticulous analysis of the text with a deep appreciation of Wittgenstein’s conception of philosophy, it will be welcomed by philosophers, artists, and anyone else with an interest in colour.’ — Dr Mario von der Ruhr, Swansea University, UK ‘As Lugg notes in his extremely helpful new book, Wittgenstein observes that his “sentences are all to be read slowly”. Lugg takes Wittenstein at his word and discusses the often enigmatic remarks collected in his posthumous Remarks on Colour one by one. In this brilliantly lucid study of Wittgenstein’s late reflections on colour Lugg does his readers a great service by taking these ideas seriously as contributions to an illuminating examination of what, following Wittgenstein, may be called the “logic” of our colour terms.’ — Joachim Schulte, University of Zurich, Switzerland ‘Andrew Lugg’s book is at once an exceedingly close reading and a far-reaching provocation. This careful, deep dive into Remarks on Colour yields a detailed analysis of Wittgenstein’s approach to philosophical questions about colour, while also making a case for Lugg’s own distinctive reflections on Wittgenstein’s work, early to late. — Naomi Scheman, University of Minnesota, US