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Ludwig Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein Quotes

Philosopher

Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century, renowned for his profound contributions to language, logic, and philosophical methods. His ideas have had a significant impact on the development of analytic philosophy and philosophy of language.

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Famous Ludwig Wittgenstein Quotes

“Our ordinary language has no means for describing a particular shade of color. Thus it is incapable of producing a picture of this color.”

Mean Language Particular Color Ordinary Shade Incapable Describing

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“The truly apocalyptic view of the world is that things do not repeat themselves. It isn't absurd, e.g., to believe that the age of science and technology is the beginning of the end for humanity; that the idea of great progress is delusion, along with the idea that the truth will ultimately be known; that there is nothing good or desirable about scientific knowledge and that mankind, in seeking it, is falling into a trap. It is by no means obvious that this is not how things are.”

“To believe in a God means to see that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter.”

World Believe Mean Ends Matter God Facts

Book:Notebooks, 1914-1916

Source: Notebooks, 1914-1916

“To believe in a God means to understand the question about the meaning of life. To believe in a God means to see that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter. To believe in God means to see that life has a meaning.”

World Believe Mean Ends Matter Facts Meaning Of Life Believe In God

Book:Notebooks, 1914-1916

Source: Notebooks, 1914-1916

“Schiller writes in a letter [to Goethe, 17 December 1795] of a 'poetic mood'. I think I know what he means, I think I am familiar with it myself. It is the mood of receptivity to nature and one in which one's thoughts seem as vivid as nature itself.”

Thinking Knows Writing Mean Seems Letters Mood Familiar Poetic Vivid December Receptivity

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“For remember that in general we don't use language according to strict rules-- it hasn't been taught to us by means of strict rules, either. We, in our discussions on the other hand, constantly compare language with a calculus preceding to exact rules.”

Mean Use Hands Remember Language Taught Compare Discussion Strict Calculus Strict Rules

Book:A companion to Wittgenstein's

Source: A companion to Wittgenstein's

“Suppose we think while we talk or write--I mean, as we normally do--we shall not in general say that we think quicker than we talk, but the thought seems not to be separate from the expression.”

Thinking Writing Mean Seems Expression

Book:Philosophical Investigations

Source: Philosophical Investigations

“The 2 timeless drivers that underpin the behavior of every generation: the need to belong and the need to be significant. The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

World Needs Mean Language Generations Limits Behavior Significant Drivers Timeless

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present.”

Ifs Life Mean Death Dying Events Eternal Experience Eternity Infinite Eternal Life Live In The Present Duration Timelessness Events In Life

Book:Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

Source: Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.”

World Mean Wisdom Language Learning Communication Limits Philosophical Language Words Language And Communication Languages Communication Power Of Language Language And Power International Language

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.”

Mean Philosophy Language History Battle Philosophical Intelligence Programming Philosophy Of Science

Book:A companion to Wittgenstein's

Source: A companion to Wittgenstein's

“It is an hypothesis that the sun will rise tomorrow: and this means that we do not know whether it will rise.”

Knows Mean Sun Tomorrow Philosophical Hypothesis

Book:Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

Source: Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

“The common behavior of mankind is the system of reference by means of which we interpret an unknown language.”

Mean Language Common Mankind Behavior Philosophical

Book:Philosophical Investigations

Source: Philosophical Investigations

“Humor is not a mood but a way of looking at the world. So if it is correct to say that humor was stamped out in Nazi Germany, that does not mean that people were not in good spirits, or anything of that sort, but something much deeper and more important.”

People Ifs World Way Mean Doe Important Humor Spirit Deeper Mood Germany Nazi Nazi Germany

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“I think one of the things you and I have to learn is that we have to live without the consolation of belonging to a Church.... Of one thing I am certain. The religion of the future will have to be extremely ascetic, and by that I don't mean just going without food and drink.”

Thinking Mean Certain Church One Thing Drink Belonging Consolation Food And Drink

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“In philosophy it is always good to put a question instead of an answer to a question. For an answer to the philosophical question may easily be unfair; disposing of it by means of another question is not.”

May Mean Philosophy Answers Philosophical Unfair Philosophical Questions

Book:A companion to Wittgenstein's

Source: A companion to Wittgenstein's

“Don't ask what it means, but rather how it is used.”

Mean Used Asks Learning Programming

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“To understand a sentence means to understand a language. To understand a language means to be master of a technique.”

Mean Language Masters Sentences Technique

Book:Philosophical Investigations

Source: Philosophical Investigations

“The Christian religion is only for one who needs infinite help, therefore only for one who feels an infinite need. The whole planet cannot be in greater anguish than a single soul. The Christian faith - as I view it - is the refuge in this ultimate anguish. To whom it is given in this anguish to open his heart, instead of contracting it, accepts the means of salvation in his heart.”

Needs Feels Heart Mean Soul Whole Helping Christian Given Views Accepting Greater Planets Ultimate Infinite Salvation Refuge Anguish Christian Faith Contracting

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

About the Author

Born: April 26, 1889
Died: April 29, 1951
Known for: Philosopher
Quotes: 391

Related Topics

Philosophy Ifs Language Philosophical World Thinking Logic Doe Way Knows Mean Use Philosopher Propositions Form Men Problem Should Facts Believe

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Books & Sources

Tractatus Logico-PhilosophicusRelated source material

Philosophical InvestigationsRelated source material

Notebooks, 1914-1916Related source material

On CertaintyRelated source material

Philosophical Occasions, 1912-1951Related source material

A companion to Wittgenstein'sRelated source material

Tractatus Logico PhilosophicusRelated source material

Culture and ValueRelated source material

The Tractatus According to Its Own FormRelated source material

Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus: German and EnglishRelated source material

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