Ludwig Wittgenstein Quotes
A collection of quotes by Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Ludwig Wittgenstein was an influential philosopher, widely regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. Born in Vienna, Austria in 1889, Wittgenstein came from a wealthy and intellectual family. After studying engineering in Germany, he shifted his focus to philosophy, becoming a student of Bertrand Russell at the University of Cambridge.
Wittgenstein's major work, "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus," published in 1921, explored the nature of language, logic, and the limits of thought. He argued that language is a representation of reality and that the structure of language reflects the structure of the world. This work had a profound influence on the philosophy of language and logic.
After serving in World War I, Wittgenstein returned to Cambridge and continued his philosophical inquiries, presenting a starkly different view in his later works, known as the "Philosophical Investigations." Here, he criticized his earlier views, advocating for a more social and contextual understanding of language as a form of communication.
Despite his achievements, Wittgenstein was often plagued by self-doubt and spent periods of his life in isolation. He had a reclusive nature and sometimes abandoned his academic career to work as a teacher or laborer. Nonetheless, his ideas continue to shape philosophy, particularly in the fields of language, mind, and metaphysics. Wittgenstein passed away in 1951, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the most influential and enigmatic thinkers of the 20th century.
