Tractatus Philosophico-Poeticus

by Signe Gjessing, Denise Newman (Translator)

Ludwig Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, ortende noted as the most important philosophical work of the 20th century, had a broad goal; to identify the relationship between language and reality, and to define the limits of science. Following on from Wittgenstein 100 years later, Signs Gjessing updates and reimagines the Tractatus, marrying poetry with philosophy to test the boundaries of reality. Stunning, knowing, and revitalising, and glinting with stars, silk, and ecstasy, this is poetry which exacts the logical consequence of philosophy, while locating beauty and significance in the nonsense of the world.

Genres: Poetry

41 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2019

Reviews

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world exports a shampoo based on stars and longing

Translated by Denise Newman and published by Lolli Editions, Tractatus Philosophico-Poeticus is, as the name may suggest, Signe Gjessing's poetic rewriting of Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (whose title was in turn taken from Spinoza's Spinoza. Tractatus Theologico-Politicus. Theolog.-polit. Traktat.)

Gjessing builds on Wittgenstein's tract and adds her own distinctive element of the ecstacic, with threads of silk and roses (Roses may be a bit too delicate when compared to the stars running through it).

I have limited familiarity with Wittgenstein's work, and both poetry and philosophy have limited resonance with me, so I'm far from the ideal audience for this brief (41 pages in very large font) work, hence the 3 star rating, but I would strongly recommend this to those to whom it sounds their thing.

The logician in me did appreciate the mathematical set-up of the text, mirroring Wittgenstein's own. As he explains, in C.K. Ogden's translation:

The decimal figures as numbers of the separate propositions indicate the logical importance of the propositions, the emphasis laid upon them in my exposition. The propositions n.1, n.2, n.3, etc., are comments on proposition No. n; the propositions n.ml, n.m2, etc., are comments on the proposition No. n.m; and so on.

with Newman following a similar poetic philosophy.

Extract from Gjessing/Newman:

3. The world is
imported.

3.01 The world is a good
alternative to certainty.

3.011 The world has been allowed
to sit and watch from one side
of the balance. The world
is not supposed to shift
the balance, it should
just watch.

3.02 Is it completely intentional
that the universe has not
led roads to the stars?

3.03 The universe always
shows up at the last
minute, right before
universality gives up.

3.031 And always with some
kind of new scent.

3.1 The world is accentuated
by the drops
as an example.
—Which ecstasies?
—The world, e.g.

(from longer extract at https://www.asymptotejournal.com/poet...)

Extract from Wittgenstein/Ogden:

1 The world is everything that is the case.

1.1 The world is the totality of facts, not of things.

1.11 The world is determined by the facts, and by these being all the facts.

1.12 For the totality of facts determines both what is the case; and also all that is not the case.

1.13 The facts in logical space are the world.

1.2 The world divides into facts.

1.21 Any one can either be the case or not be the case; and everything else remain the same.

(from original at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5740/...)

[Rebecka Häggström]

Gav upp. Logiken var för omöjlig att följa

[ciel · Rating 4 out of 5]

cheeky bookshop read through, would have to read i. detail to say how awesome i find it but the concept is stunning

[bokanonym · Rating 2 out of 5]

Denna diktsamling (?) använder samma system som Wittgensteins Tractatus Logicus-Philosophicus. Det var därför jag lånade den. Svårt att motstå den idén.

Jag tycker problemet uppstår i att Gjessing vägrar välja mellan poesins grumlighet och filosofins klarhet. Det känns inte som att boken kommer nån vart, det blir mest ett pseudo-intellektuellt/pseudo-poetiskt runk. Jag hade föredragit en diktsamling och en filosofisk bok, alltså separat. Det hade nog funkat bättre om de var komplement till varandra än att de slås ihop.
Hon tillskriver universum ett medvetande som om det vore en självklarhet. Jag hade svårt att förstå om det var ett poetiskt grepp eller ett filosofiskt. Det är ett exempel på hur sammanslagningen skapar problem.

”2.41 Universum hänvisar till stillheten när det »är«."

[⏺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really gorgeous poem, but I wonder if the structure detracts to it rather than adding to it. The logical dependences don't always work, at times they seem pretty arbitrary, but the imagery and tone are really beautiful. It's also a tiny book that begs to be reread from the top as soon as it's finished, very stimulating

I don't have a steady universe, but I have a steady rose.
The world often shifts wonder.
The world leaves everything to the roses which leave everything to chance.

[Thomas Rasmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der er ligesom to muligheder. Enten fatter jeg ikke en skid. Eller også er den fjollet på en måde jeg er helt vild med.

Jeg går med sidste mulighed. Og med en bevidsthed om, at jeg måske ikke er så skide klog alligevel.

[Jonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

På den ene side temneligt theoretisk, på den anden mere legende + propositioner, hvor referencerne (endnu) ikke er (mig) tydelige. Forskel i sproget mellem forordet og digtet selv er interessant. Handler det også om sammenhang og causalitet?

[Emil Berglund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I added Tractatus philosophico-poeticus to my reading of Wittgensteins Tractatus and it actually helped me a lot to get a type of second experience and interpretation of Ludwigs work. I didn't love all the poetry but some of it was beautiful.

[Ollie Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The world is a good alternative to certainty"

What a wonderful project. Five stars in my imagination as I read excerpts online and wait for it to arrive. Can't wait to read it.

[Jessada Karnjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.711 The world weighs less than my problems. สร้างสรรค์นะ ชอบ แต่อยากให้รสที่ strong กว่านี้อีกนิด

[Dyfan Dyfans Dyfanson]

Ok

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opløftende!

[Sam Maich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic but very cool sentences to think about and mull over for a while, but will probably forget i read it in like 2 months