Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus | Ludwig Wittgenstein

"Philosophy is not a theory," asserted Austro-British philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), "but an activity." In this 1921 opus, his only philosophical work published during his lifetime, Wittgenstein defined the object of philosophy as the logical clarification of thoughts and proposed the solution to most philosophic problems by means of a critical method of linguistic analysis. In proclaiming philosophy as a matter of logic rather than of metaphysics, Wittgenstein created a sensation among intellectual circles that influenced the development of logical positivism and changed the direction of 20th-century thought.

Beginning with the principles of symbolism and the necessary relations between words and objects, the author applies his theories to various branches of traditional philosophy, illustrating how mistakes arise from inappropriate use of symbolism and misuses of language. After examining the logical structure of propositions and the nature of logical inference, he discusses the theory of knowledge as well as principles of physics and ethics and aspects of the mystical.

Supervised by the author himself, this translation from the German by C. K. Ogden is regarded as the definitive text. A magisterial introduction by the distinguished philosopher Bertrand Russell hails Wittgenstein's achievement as extraordinarily important, "one which no serious philosopher can afford to neglect." 

About the Author

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was an Austrian-born philosopher who is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. His work primarily focused on logic, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of language. Wittgenstein's ideas have profoundly influenced various fields, including ethics, political discourse, artificial intelligence, and linguistics. His work "Philosophical Investigations" was ranked as the most important book of 20th-century philosophy in a 1999 survey of American university and college teachers.

Despite his significant contributions, Wittgenstein published only one book during his lifetime, the "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus". He taught at the University of Cambridge from 1929 to 1947, but also left academia several times to pursue other interests, including working as a hospital porter during World War II. Wittgenstein's approach to philosophy was revolutionary, challenging traditional philosophical methods and emphasizing the importance of language in shaping our understanding of the world.