Language And Solitude: Wittgenstein, Malinowski... | Desktop |

In his final work, (1998), the polymath Ernest Gellner explores the intellectual roots of the 20th century's obsession with language and community. He argues that both the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and the anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski were shaped by the "Habsburg Dilemma"—a clash between the universalizing rationality of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the diverse, romantic nationalism of its various cultures. Core Themes and Arguments