The Language of the Artillery & the Language of Ludwig Wittgenstein

8/9/2019 The Language of the Artillery & the Language of Ludwig Wittgenstein

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The Language of the Artillery &

the Language of Ludwig Wittgenstein The United States Army refers to the Infantry as the “Queen of Battle” and the Artillery as the “King of Battle.” Before the era of the aircraft carrier and its proclivity to position et fighters at strategic points! and the drone "ith its capacity to “surgically”attac# pinpointed targets! the Artillery reigned as King. $eneral %atton said it "on &orld &ar II. The havoc it caused during &orld &ar I remains resolutely fi'ed even sotoday in the consciousnesses and su(consciousnesses of the British )%oppy *ay+.“,ight is -ight.” Artillery officers are referred to as “redlegs” in the US Army. &hile

there is no particular nic#name for the Infantry itself! many sou(riuets e'ist forInfantry units/ The 0irst *ivision )The Big -ed 1ne+ and the 0ourth *ivision )TheSno"fla#e *ivision or the Ivy *ivision+ to name ust t"o.

2ean3%aul Sartre served in an artillery unit during &orld &ar I. In ,arch 4546 7ud"ig &ittgenstein "as assigned to the -ussian front "ith the 8th Austrian army "here heserved as an artillery for"ard o(server sighting potential targets for the ho"it9eremplacements in his rear. :e "as continuously targetted (y enemy snipers (ut managedto react efficiently! and so the headstrong 7& "as decorated for his (ravery and calmunder fire. In 2anuary 4548! again at the -ussian front! he "as attached to a ho"it9er

unit in a rear"ard location. 7&;s erst"hile mentor at <am(ridge University! Bertrand-ussell! o(served that 7& had (ecome a changed man after his military service! andthereafter “possessed a deeply mystical and ascetic attitude.” In August 454= hefinished "riting his most reno"ned "or#! the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus— a tome helater repudiated. 7& had ta#en many notes during his "artime e'perience having hadenough time to order and design the specious argumentation for the Tractatus.

Artillery is not necessarily a sought3after arms (ranch. In the “old days” the US Army Artillery! for instance! "as divided into t"o divisions/ field artillery and roc#etry andmissilry artillery. The “cannon coc#ers” of the 0A! ro(ust characters "ho heaved

proectiles )4>?mm! 4??mm! =3inch! and 48?mm+ into the (reeches of ho"it9ers to (efired (y pulling on a lanyard )0ire@+! had to (e an e'cessively "ell3trained team. “1n the "ay! "ait@” "as the command relayed "hen a proectile "as discharged. The for"ardo(server )01+! "ho had hoped his map had (een accurate enough not to cause amassacre of his fello" soldiers caused (y his ordering of artillery (arrages! then chec#ed "ith the infantry company commander )<1+ "ho "ould instruct him to ma#eadustments left or right! up or do"n. The shouting (et"een the t"o! over the firing of rifles and hand3grenades going off! did not ma#e the 01;s tas# anymore easier! not tomention the 01;s o(ect to calculate still another fire mission for the <1. “:umping” "ith the infantry company! it "as his responsi(ility to receive instructions from the <1 "ho might reuire artillery support not only during a contact "ith the enemy! (ut alsofor defensive concentrations )*0<1S+ in the evening "hen his company had



(edded do"n in a circular formation "ith infantry guards "atching over the Queen of Battle;s unit;s perimeter. “<annon coc#ers” o(viously served in the rearguard areasclose to the 0ire *irection <enter )0*<+ "here firing data and computations )chargesi9es! meteorologic3atmospheric conditions! altitudes! propellant temperature! "indreadings! estimated distances! deflections! etc.+ "ere "or#ed up and then passed on to

the (atteryC(atteries "here the cannons had (een lined up )“laid”+ and in parallelformation. And then! modifications to the cannons; instrumentation "ere made toconform to the fire mission sent in (y an 01 or aerial o(server )A1s earned an e'traD44>.>> ha9ardous duty pay per month+. A gripe of the for"ard o(servers "as thatthey "ere not entitled to receive the <om(at Infantryman;s Badge )recognition that aninfantryman had served in com(at+ (ecause they "ere not de facto infantrymen eventhough they “humped” "ith them as assignees to infantry units. Saint Bar(ara is thepatron saint of the ArtilleryEif you "ish to pray for them@

The language of the Artillery is! (y nature! concise. The Artillery is a#in to a fast food

comple'. It must ,ove! Shoot and <ommunicate. Time cannot (e "asted (ecause theprocess must have rhythm and rhyme. <oordination. 0luidity. Simplicity. Artillery language must (e fast (ut accurate. This linguistic communication must (e cut do"n toits (are minimum. It is meant to save the lives of soldiers. : F :igh 'plosive. 00F 0ire 0or ffect. Smo#e F Smo#e %roectiles. *IGA-TH F *ivision Artillery. :IF :arassment Interdiction. << F <ommand <ontrol. <A F <om(at Assault.7 F ight 7ocation. *0<1 F *efensive <oncentration. A1 F Area of 1perations...et alia. &hen transmitted over radios! this lettering has to (e translated into Alfa! Bravo! <harlie! *elta! cho! 0o'trot! $olf! :otel! India! 2uliett! Kilo! 7ima! ,i#e!ovem(er! 1scar! %apa! Que(ec! -omeo! Sierra! Tango! Uniform! Gictor! &his#ey! J3

ray! Han#ee! andCor ulu. The language of the Artillery is telegraphic. It is meant tos#im across the air"aves connecting! most importantly! the 01 "ith the 0*<. Thefaster data is processed! the uic#er "ill (e the reaction of the (atteries and their(om(ardmentsEthe sounds of their poundings on the ground. <aptain :arry S Truman! artillery (attery commander during &orld &ar I and LLrd president of theUnited States! had a penchant for using short! pithy statements one of "hich "as this/“The Buc# Stops :ere@” ):ere “(uc#” does not refer to a dollar (ill! (ut to one;sresponsi(ility "hich might have (een (efore passed on and then on and on finally reaching an end point! in this case! %resident Truman;s des#.+

The language of 7ud"ig &ittgenstein is! (y nature! concise. 7isten to these gems of tightened3up language. *o not "orry if they have no meaning for you. After all! 7& reected "hat he had "ritten in his Tractatus )perhaps (ecause his post3traumatic stresshad a(ated+:

4

4.M The "orld divides into facts.

M

M.>LL 0orm is the possi(ility of structure.

L

L.LM A sign is "hat can (e perceived of a sym(ol.



N

N.N6M Tautologies and contradictions are not pictures of reality.

?

?.N?L There are no preeminent num(ers.

6

6.4L 7ogic is transcendental.

8

8.> &hat "e cannot spea# a(out "e must pass over in silence.

O O O

It is a trait of human nature to spea# on and on a(out "hat "e #no" nothing a(out. This is not a deservingness. $eorge <arlin once remar#ed that most people do not#no" "hat they are doingEand they are pretty good at doing it@ 7& is a(solutely correct in "anting us to choose our "ords cautiously. It is a sign of (eing epigrammatic. ,eat and potatoes language. &hat is the sense of tal#ing a(outsomething "e cannot comprehendP In "hat #ind of a "orld "ould "e (e living in if allthat "e uttered "as strictly analy9ed and clearly deli(erated uponP It surely "ould (eless pursy. 7ess "asteful. <an "e actually e'pect the "orld to (e more reflectiveP<ertainly. But "ill it ever (eP :o"P &henP

%erhaps 7&;s tour de force is his straightfor"ard de(un#ing of traditional philosophy as(eing e'cessively ver(oseEeven confusing. 0or 7&! the purpose of philosophy is tosee# the logical clarification of thoughts. That had (een said (efore him. %hilosophy!according to 7&! is an activity. That had (een said (efore him. <ontemporary philosophy is sometimes even "orse. &hat "ould 7& have said if he had come across!say! ,ary ,idgley;s essay Deciding What is Right &ould he have called a fire mission to9ero herP 7& "as right in predicting that philosophy "as on its "ay to e'tinction.%eople are see#ing images in our modern "orld. They are a(andoning "ords more andmore. ,inds are (ecoming atrophied "ith images.

In t"o (oo#s treating the life and thoughts of 7ud"ig &ittgenstein ) Ludwig Wittgenstein (y -ay ,on# and Wittgenstein: A !ery "hort #ntroduction (y A < $rayling+ many interesting highlights in the life of 7& have (een presented to us. 7& "as a fascinating individual even if! as %rofessor $rayling points out! his philosophical theories are! onthe "hole! (aseless. -ay ,on# has dug deep into the personal life of this oftenover(earing! tormented individual leaving us "ith the "or#a(le conclusion that 7&;s

forte might have derived from the privileged life he enoyedEalong "ith <am(ridgephilosophy students and professors@E(eing the son of one of the richest men inurope! that his se'uality conflicted ghoulishly "ith his religious predilections! and his

tenore di $ita% his masochism! his domineering attitude as a cele(rity! and! a(ove all! histerrifying e'periences as an artillery for"ard o(server! all contri(uted to the ma#ing of this philosophical frea# of ature.



7et us close "ith "hat Bertrand -usselEhe finally (ro#e "ith 7ud"ig &ittgensteinE surmised "hen he commented on 7&;s penchant to “a(ridge” philosophical language/B- hinted that 7& said too much saying philosophy said too much@

1ver and out@

Authored (y Anthony St. 2ohn

M5 2anuary ,,JG

<alen9ano! Italy

""".scri(d.comCthe"ord"arrior

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The Language of the Artillery & the Language of Ludwig Wittgenstein

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