Module 5

Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein was an extraordinarily original philosopher, whose influence on 20th
century philosophy is beyond words. G.H. Von Wright considers him to be “one of the greatest
and most influential philosophers of our time.” He is an Austrian born British philosopher. His
unique style of writing and personality makes his presence in philosophy forever.
Wittgenstein was greatly influenced by the idea that philosophical problems can be resolved
by paying attention to the workings of languages. It has been common to divide Wittgenstein’s
works into two distinct phases:
1. The early period which is that of the Tractatus Logico Philosophicus (1921).
2. The later period that of the Philosophical Investigations (1953).
Tractatus was the only works which was published during his life time. The posthumous
publications of texts such as:
a) The Blue and the Brown Books
b) Philosophical Grammar
c) Philosophical Remarks
d) On Certainty
e) Conversations with Vienna Circle
The above mentioned explored a number of philosophical issues.
*Language framed idealistically helps resolve metaphysical, ethical and logical issues.

Tractatus Logico Philosophicus and Ideal Language Approach

‘Tractatus Logico Philosophicus’ is the major work of early Wittgenstein. The aim of Tractatus
is to show that the problems of philosophy can be solved by coming to a proper understanding
of how language works. He says that we shall solve the problems of philosophy when we
understand “the logic of our language.” This is the dominating thought in all Wittgenstein’s
philosophy and it represents what is continuous between its earlier and later parts.
The chief objective of Wittgenstein is to solve the problems of philosophy. He intends to do
this by showing how language works. According to him, philosophical problems are conceptual
and logical. Only a logical investigation will solve them. The proper task of philosophy is to
make our thoughts clear. The philosophical discussions about knowledge, value, truth etc. are
illusory problems which arise as a result of the misunderstandings about language.
What is fundamental to the Tractatus is the thought that language has an underlying logical
structure. An understanding of this clearly reveals what can be said. In Wittgenstein’s opinion,
traditional philosophical problems arose as a result of trying to say what is unsayable. In other
words, the proper task of philosophy is “to say nothing except what can be said.”
Wittgentsein in Tractatus says that both language and the world have structure. Language
consists of propositions. Propositions are made of elementary propositions. Elementary
propositions are combination of names. Names are the ultimate constituents of language.
Correspondingly, the world consists in the totality of facts. Facts are compounded out of state
of affairs which in turn are compounded of objects. Each level of structure in language matches
a level of structure in the world. Objects are denoted by names. Elementary propositions
correspond to states of affairs. Propositions correspond to facts.
The two parallel structures can be represented as follows:

The correspondence between elementary propositions and state of affairs is constituted by the
fact that the names denote objects. The arrangement of names in the elementary propositions
logically mirrors the arrangement of objects in the state of affairs.

The Picture Theory

Wittgentsein explains the relationship between the language and the world in terms of picture
theory. He holds that the language-world relation is a pictorial relation. A proposition is a
picture of a fact. The picture theory rests on Wittgenstein’s account of propositions.
Propositions should be determinate in truth value i.e; they should be true or false. A proposition
is a truth function of elementary propositions.
Wittgenstein says; (2.12) A picture is a model of reality. The things in reality and their
representation in picture have a common structure. The shared structure Wittgenstein calls,
pictorial form. Pictorial form is the identity of structure between a picture and what it depicts.
The link between the two (the picture and reality) is a link between their elements. Wittgenstein
holds that every picture is a logical picture. It is logical because in the picturing relation, it is
the structure that is important.
Wittgenstein uses a musical analogy (to depict resemblance) to express his picture theory.
There are rules which enable a musician to translate a musical score into movements of fingers
on his/her keyboard and then by piano’s mechanism into sounds. There exists an essential
connection between the musical score and the music. That connection is their shared logical
form. This explains what Wittgenstein meant by saying “a proposition shows its sense.” The
sense or meaning of a proposition is the fact that it pictures.
Therefore, the only significant propositions and hence thoughts (since a proposition is
expression of thought) are those which are pictures of reality. Therefore, what is beyond factual
world (ethics, religion etc.) one cannot say anything about them. Propositions picture or mirror
the logical form of factual things but it cannot do so, what is beyond factual. Wittgenstein
remarks in the last sentence of the Tractatus, “Whereof we cannot speak, thereof we must be
silent.”

Philosophical Investigations and Ordinary Language Approach

‘Philosophical Investigations’ is in many ways, a reaction to the Tractatus. In the Tractatus,
Wittgenstein’s position was that language has only one use; revealing the structure of the world
and maintaining a pictorial relation. The argument of investigations is an explicit rejection of
this view. Language has no single essence but it is multifunctional.
In the Tractatus, Wittgenstein had argued that meaning lies in a pictorial relation between
names and objects or propositions and facts. But in Philosophical Investigations, he held that
meaning of an expression is its use. It is the multiplicity of practice which make up language.
In short, language is a ‘form of life.’

Language Games
Wittgenstein says that language is not one uniform thing but a host of different activities. We
use language to describe, inform, affirm, deny, report, speculate, give orders, ask questions,
tell stories, sing, guess, make jokes, solve problems, translate, request, thank, greet, curse, pray,
express emotions, command etc. All these different activities Wittgenstein calls ‘Language
Games’. It means the many and various language-using activities we engage in. ‘Language
Games’ is meant to bring into prominence the fact that the speaking of language is part of an
activity, or a ‘form of life’.
In order to explain his concept of language games, he says, “Consider the games. I mean board
games, card games, ball games and so on. There is something common to all. We see a
complicated network of similarities overlapping… games form a family.” Language cannot be
understood by a unitary theory. The meaning of an expression is the use to which it can be put
into. In other words, the meaning of a word, is its use in language.
Thus in the later period, he is of the view that language always functions in a context. It is a
kind of game with words as tools like pieces of chess. Words, he said, are like tools in a tool
box. Language is not only for portraying reality but serves different purposes. Language in
short admits innumerable possibilities there are as many purposes for language as there are
contexts.

One word answers

1. Philosophical problems can be resolved by paying attention to the workings of
languages.

2. Tractatus Logico Philosophicus – Early Wittgenstein’s work in 1921.

3. Philosophical Investigations – Later Wittgenstein’s work in 1953.

4. We shall solve the problems of philosophy when we understand “the logic of our
language.”

5. Elementary propositions – Combination of names.

6. Structure of language corresponds to the structure of the world.

7. Language-world relation is a pictorial relation.

8. Pictorial form – Identity of structure between a picture and what it depicts.

9. Meaning of an expression is its use.

10. ‘Whereof we cannot speak, thereof we must be silent’ – statement by Wittgenstein.

11. Language is a ‘form of life.’

12. Language Games – Many and various language-using activities we engage in.