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Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)
Ludwig Wittgenstein – A Short Presentation
Who was he?
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) was an Austrian-British philosopher, widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. He fundamentally shaped the philosophy of language, logic, and mind.
Two Key Periods in His Philosophy:
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Early Wittgenstein – Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921):
Wittgenstein proposed that the structure of language mirrors the structure of reality. He believed that meaningful statements must be logically pictureable—what can be said clearly can be said at all; the rest must be passed over in silence.
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Later Wittgenstein – Philosophical Investigations (published posthumously in 1953):
He rejected much of his earlier work and introduced the idea that the meaning of words is found in their use. Language is a series of “language games” rooted in forms of life, emphasizing the social and practical dimensions of communication.
Legacy:
Wittgenstein’s work has influenced philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and cognitive science. His shift from logical formalism to everyday language analysis marked a turning point in analytic philosophy.
Famous for saying:
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
QUOTES
Here are some of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s most famous and thought-provoking quotes:
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On Language and Thought
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
(Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 1921)
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On Meaning
“Meaning is use.”
(Philosophical Investigations, 1953)
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On Silence
“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
(Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, final proposition)
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On Certainty
“If you do know that here is one hand, we’ll grant you all the rest.”
(On Certainty, posthumously published)
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On Philosophy
“Philosophy is not a body of doctrine but an activity.”
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On Clarity
“Don’t get involved in partial problems, but always take flight to where there is a free view over the whole single great problem.”