William Warren Bartley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 William Warren Bartley, III |
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| Born: | 1934 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
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| Died: | February 5, 1990 Oakland, California, United States |
| Occupation: | Philosopher Author Member, Advisory Board, Est, an educational corporation |
William Warren Bartley, III (1934-1990) was an American philosopher and author.
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[edit] Education
Bartley was a student of Sir Karl Popper and synthesizer of pancritical rationalism.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1934, he was brought up in a Protestant Christian home. After graduating from Harvard University, he went on to study at the London School of Economics under Sir Karl Popper.
[edit] Author
Bartley wrote a best-selling biography[1] of Werner Erhard, the founder of est. Bartley was graduate of Erhard Seminars Training, from 1972. Werner Erhard refers to Bartley in the book as "My friend Bill". William Bartley served on the advisory board of Est, an educational company. He edited Lewis Carroll's book Symbolic Logic (see symbolic logic), including the second volume which Carroll had never published. He is perhaps best known today for his work in extending Popperian epistemology, discussed in his book The Retreat to Commitment.
[edit] Wittgenstein
Bartley published his biography of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, titled simply Wittgenstein, in 1973.[2] The book contained a relatively brief, 4-5 page treatment of Wittgenstein's homosexuality, relying mainly on reportage from the philosopher's friends and acquaintances. This matter caused enormous controversy in intellectual and philosophical circles; many perceived it as a posthumous "attack" on Wittgenstein. Some foreign editions of the book, like the Spanish, were printed with the "offending" material excised.[3]
In a second edition of the biography, Bartley answered the objections of critics, pointing out that Wittgenstein's period of active homosexuality is verified by the philosopher's own private writings, included his coded diaries; extensive confirmation was also available from people who knew Wittgenstein in the period between the two World Wars in Vienna, including ex-lovers. Bartley also considers, and rejects, the idea of a connection between the private life and the philosophy.
"If you think I'm an old spinster — think again!" — Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1945.[4]
[edit] Later years
Bartley died of cancer on February 5, 1990 before his last book, Unfathomed Knowledge, Unmeasured Wealth: On Universities and the Wealth of Nations went to press. Other works included writing a biography, and editing the collected works, of Friedrich Hayek. The former task was completed after Bartley's death by his colleagues; the latter is still being continued.
[edit] References
- ^ Bartley, William Warren, Werner Erhard The Transformation of a Man: The Founding of EST, Clarkson Potter, 1988. ISBN 0-517-53502-5
- ^ William Warren Bartley III, Wittgenstein, Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1973.
- ^ Bartley treats the criticisms and related matters in the second edition of the biography: Wittgenstein, La Salle, Illinois, Open Court, 1985; pp. 159-97.
- ^ Norman Malcolm,Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir, London, Oxford University Press, 1958; p. 39.
[edit] Bibliography
- Morality and Religion, 1971
- Lewis Carroll's Symbolic Logic, 1977
- Wittgenstein, 1973, 1985
- The Retreat to Commitment, 1984
- Werner Erhard, The Transformation of a Man: The Founding of EST, 1988
- Unfathomed Knowledge, Unmeasured Wealth, 1990
[edit] External links
- KLI Theory Lab — Authors, William Warren Bartley III (1934-1990)
- clublet.com, "Often referred to on Why simply as Bartley."
- about the philosophers, Bill Bartley (1934-1990)
- writings on w.w. bartley
- bio at Review, Unfathomed Knowledge
