Francis Skinner

Francis Skinner (1912-1941) was Ludwig Wittgenstein's homosexual lover.

Related Topics:
Ludwig Wittgenstein - Homosexual

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Francis was a student of Wittgenstein. Skinner molded his life to suit Ludwig's tastes: became a gardener and then mechanic, quit his studies in mathematics and philosophy, travelled to visit Wittgenstein in Norway. They travelled together often.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Francis gave Ludwig his heart and took the blame for all their romantic disagreements.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He wrote: "I'm thinking of you a lot. I also think often how lovely it was cleaning your room with you." And: "I thought of you a lot. I longed to have you with me. The night was very wonderful and the stars looked particularly beautiful. I longed to be able to feel everything in the way I would feel it if I was with you."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1934, attracted by John Maynard Keynes' description Short View of Russia, Wittgenstein conceived the idea of emigrating to the Soviet Union with his Skinner. They took lessons in Russian.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From 1936 to 1937, Wittgenstein lived again in Norway, leaving Skinner behind.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From the time of David Pinsent's death in 1918 onward, Wittgenstein became more and more isolated (Wittgenstein had been infatuated with Pinsent).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Skinner died young of polio in October 1941. Rush Rhees reports Wittgenstein's conduct at the funeral as that of a "frightened wild animal".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In winter of 1941, Wittgenstein wrote: "I think a lot about Francis, but always only with remorse over my lovelessness; not with gratitude. His life and death seem only to accuse me, for I was in the last 2 years of his life very often loveless and, in my heart, unfaithful to him. If he had not been so boundlessly gentle and true, I would have become totally loveless towards him."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~