Tractatus Logico-philosophicusThe Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (widely abbreviated and cited as TLP) (Latin for Logical Philosophical Treatise or Treatise on Logic and Philosophy) is the only book-length philosophical work by the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein that was published during his lifetime. The project had a broad goal: to identify the relationship between language and reality and to define the limits of science. It is recognized by philosophers as a significant philosophical work of the twentieth century. G. E. Moore originally suggested the work's Latin title as homage to the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus by Baruch Spinoza. Wittgenstein wrote the notes for the Tractatus while he was a soldier during World War I and completed it during a military leave in the summer of 1918. It was first published in German in 1921 as Logisch-Philosophische Abhandlung. The Tractatus was influential chiefly amongst the logical positivist philosophers of the Vienna Circle, such as Rudolf Carnap and Friedrich Waismann. Bertrand Russell's article "The Philosophy of Logical Atomism" is presented as a working out of ideas that he had learned from Wittgenstein. The Tractatus employs an austere and succinct literary style. The work contains almost no arguments as such, but rather consists of declarative statements, or passages, that are meant to be self-evident. The statements are hierarchically numbered, with seven basic propositions at the primary level (numbered 1-7), with each sub-level being a comment on or elaboration of the statement at the next higher level (e.g., 1, 1.1, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13). In all, the Tractatus comprises 526 numbered statements. Wittgenstein's later works, notably the posthumously published Philosophical Investigations, criticised many of his earlier ideas in the Tractatus. |
From inside the book
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... Given the syntax of a language , the meaning of a sentence is determinate as soon as the meaning of the component words is known . In order that a certain sentence should assert a certain fact there must , however the language may be ...
... is necessary also to know the atomic facts of which these objects are constituents . Given this total of atomic facts , every true proposition , however complex , can theoretically be inferred . A proposition ( true or 12 INTRODUCTION.
... given set of propositions can be constructed out of either of the two functions " not - p or not - q " or " not - p and not - q . ' Wittgenstein makes use of the latter , assuming a know- ledge of Dr Sheffer's work . The manner in which ...
... given in detail at the beginning of Principia Mathematica . This gives all that is wanted when the propositions which are arguments to our truth - function are given by enumeration . Wittgen- stein , however , by a very interesting ...
... given the atomic proposi- tions , all others can be manufactured . The process depends upon : ( a ) Sheffer's proof that all truth - functions can be obtained out of simultaneous negation , i.e. out of " not - p and not - q " ; ( 6 ) Mr ...