Home / Authors / Ludwig Wittgenstein

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.

Filter quotes by topic

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

Famous Ludwig Wittgenstein Quotes

“Imagine someone pointing to a place in the iris of a Rembrandt eye and saying, 'The walls of my room should be painted this color.”

Should Eye Rooms Imagine Color Wall Pointing Irises Eye Color

Book:Bemerkungen Über Die Farben

Source: Bemerkungen Über Die Farben

“What should we gain by a definition, as it can only lead us to other undefined terms?”

Should Term Gains Definitions Undefined

Book:Preliminary Studies for the

Source: Preliminary Studies for the

“The aim of the book is to set a limit to thought, or rather - not to thought, but to the expression of thoughts: for in order to be able to set a limit to thought, we should have to find both sides of the limit thinkable (i.e. we should have to be able to think what cannot be thought). It will therefore only be in language that the limit can be set, and what lies on the other side of the limit will simply be nonsense.”

Thinking Should Book Able Lying Order Language Sides Expression Limits Should Have Aim Nonsense Both Sides Thinkable

Book:Wittgenstein's Tractatus

Source: Wittgenstein's Tractatus

“It would strike me as ridiculous to want to doubt the existence of Napoleon; but if someone doubted the existence of the earth 150years ago, perhaps I should be more willing to listen, for now he is doubting our whole system of evidence.”

Ifs Want Should Whole Earth Existence History Doubt Willing Evidence Strikes Ridiculous Doubted

Book:On Certainty

Source: On Certainty

“Russell's books should be bound in two colours, those dealing with mathematical logic in red - and all students of philosophy should read them; those dealing with ethics and politics in blue - and no one should be allowed to read them.”

Should Two Book Philosophy Students Ethics Red Logic Blue Bounds Mathematical Colour Mathematical Logic

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“It is so characteristic, that just when the mechanics of reproduction are so vastly improved, there are fewer and fewer people who know how the music should be played.”

People Knows Should Music Know How Characteristics Fewer Mechanic Reproduction Procreation

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“Concerning that which cannot be talked about, we should not say anything.”

Should Say Anything

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“This is how philosophers should salute each other: ‘Take your time.”

Should Philosopher Salute Take Your Time

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“Could one imagine a stone's having consciousness? And if anyone can do so-why should that not merely prove that such image-mongery is of no interest to us?”

Ifs Should Mind Interest Can Do Consciousness Knowledge Imagine Prove Stones

Book:Philosophical Investigations

Source: Philosophical Investigations

“'Imagine a person whose memory could not retain what the word 'pain' meant-so that he constantly called different things by that name-but nevertheless used the word in a way fitting in with the usual symptoms and presuppositions of pain'-in short he uses it as we all do. Here I should like to say: a wheel that can be turned though nothing else moves with it, is not part of the mechanism.”

Way Should Mind Persons Different Use Pain Moving Used Names Memories Knowledge Imagine Wheels Different Things Usual Mechanism Nevertheless Symptoms Fitting

Author:Ludwig Wittgenstein

“In order to draw a limit to thinking, we should have to think both sides of this limit.”

Thinking Should Order Language Sides Limits Draws Should Have Both Sides

Book:The Tractatus According to Its Own Form

Source: The Tractatus According to Its Own Form

“In order to be able to set a limit to thought, we should have to find both sides of the limit thinkable (i.e. we should have to be able to think what cannot be thought).”

Thinking Should Able Order Sides Limits Should Have Both Sides Thinkable

Book:Wittgenstein's Tractatus

Source: Wittgenstein's Tractatus

“Where our language suggests a body and there is none: there, we should like to say, is a spirit.”

Should Body Spirit Language

Book:Philosophical Investigations

Source: Philosophical Investigations

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

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

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

Similar Authors

Philippa FootBrowse related quotes
VirgilBrowse related quotes
Arthur SchopenhauerBrowse related quotes
William JamesBrowse related quotes
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich HegelBrowse related quotes
EpictetusBrowse related quotes
Marcus Tullius CiceroBrowse related quotes
Seneca the YoungerBrowse related quotes
Aloysius MartinichBrowse related quotes
PlatoBrowse related quotes