George asked:

I am a subscriber to the Philosophy Pathways e-journal.

Would you be able to confirm a comment attributed to Wittgenstein and possibly cite its source? The
comment is:

"We search for what's hidden, dupes that we are of a dream of depth. Anything to avoid the
unbearable presence of reality."

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The quotation is from pages 20-21 of Terry Eagleton's novel Saints and Scholars,in which
Wittgenstein is fraternizing with James Connolly and Leopold Bloom in the Ireland of 1916. But I'm
sad to report that it was penned by Eagleton; there is nothing even remotely resembling it in any of
Wittgenstein's published or unpublished writings and utterances.

T. P. Uschanov

Research Assistant

Department of Philosophy

University of Helsinki

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