Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philosophy of language

Modern influential 104 sayings

Sayings by Ludwig Wittgenstein

The facts of the world are not the whole truth, only part of it.

Undated — Attributed, often discussed in relation to his later philosophy
Controversial Unverifiable

The real discovery is the one that makes me capable of stopping doing philosophy when I want to. The one that gives philosophy peace, so that it is no longer tormented by questions which bring itself in question.

1953 (posthumous) — Philosophical Investigations, Part I, §133
Controversial Unverifiable

We are still in the toils of language and it is hard to escape.

Undated — Attributed, from conversations or lectures
Controversial Unverifiable

Religion is, as it were, the last stop. The point where we give up.

c. 1938-1946 — Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious Belief
Controversial Unverifiable

I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.

Undated — Attributed, often cited as a personal reflection
Controversial Confirmed

If one tried to advance theses in philosophy, it would never be possible to debate them, because everyone would agree to them.

1953 (posthumous) — Philosophical Investigations, Part I, §128
Controversial Unverifiable

The results of philosophy are the uncovering of one or another piece of plain nonsense and of bumps that the understanding has got by running its head up against the limits of language.

1953 (posthumous) — Philosophical Investigations, Part I, §119
Controversial Unverifiable

The soul is not a thing. The body is not a thing.

Undated — Attributed, from conversations
Controversial Unverifiable

The world of the happy is quite another than that of the unhappy.

1921 — Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 6.43
Controversial Unverifiable

What is good is also divine. Peculiar as it may sound, that sums up my ethics.

1916 — Notebooks 1914-1916
Controversial Unverifiable

The propositions of logic are tautologies.

1921 — Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 6.1
Controversial Unverifiable

The greatest danger is to be too clever.

c. 1930s-1940s — Culture and Value
Controversial Unverifiable

It is not a matter of 'fitting' language to reality, but of language being reality.

Undated — Attributed, a common interpretation of his later work
Controversial Unverifiable

To say 'I am in pain' is not to make a statement, but to perform a linguistic action equivalent to crying out.

1953 (posthumous) — Philosophical Investigations, Part I, §244
Controversial Unverifiable

The only way to escape the toils of philosophy is to stop doing philosophy.

Undated — Attributed, reflecting his desire to end philosophical problems
Controversial Unverifiable

My work consists of two parts: the one presented here plus all that I have not written. And it is precisely this second part that is the important one.

1919 — Letter to Ludwig von Ficker (regarding the Tractatus)
Controversial Unverifiable

Philosophy is a fight against the fascination which forms of expression exert upon us.

1958 (posthumous) — The Blue and Brown Books
Controversial Unverifiable

The problems arising through a misinterpretation of our forms of language have the character of depth. They are deep disquietudes; their roots are as deep in us as the forms of our language and their significance is as great as the importance of our language.

1953 (posthumous) — Philosophical Investigations, Part I, §111
Controversial Unverifiable

To understand a language means to be master of a technique.

1953 (posthumous) — Philosophical Investigations, Part I, §199
Controversial Unverifiable

The real question of life after death isn't whether or not it exists, but even if it does what problem this really solves.

1944 — From personal notes, later published in "Culture and Value"
Controversial Unverifiable