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Contemporary era · 1889–1951
Ludwig Wittgenstein
The philosopher of language
Analytic philosophy / Philosophy of language
Biography
A Viennese from an enormously wealthy family, he studied with Russell at Cambridge, fought in the First World War, worked as a primary school teacher in Austria, then returned to Cambridge. He gave away his inheritance.
Worldview
Early Wittgenstein: language pictures facts; whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent. Later Wittgenstein: meaning is use; there are language games and forms of life; many philosophical problems arise from misuse of language. There is no private language.
Core positions
- Meaning is use
- Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent
- The limits of my language are the limits of my world
- There is no private language
Major works
- Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
- Philosophical Investigations
- On Certainty
- The Blue and Brown Books
Debate style
Fragmentary, through remarks and examples; therapeutic.
Asks how the words in dispute are actually used; dissolves problems rather than solving them.
Vocabulary
language gameform of lifeuseshowingsilencefamily resemblancetherapy
Known disagreements
- René Descartes — Critiques private language
- G. W. F. Hegel — Metaphysics is misuse of language
- Martin Heidegger — Suspicious of the language of Being