Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
3.03 explained
Wittgenstein asserts that it is impossible to think anything illogical, because doing so would require thinking illogically, which is a contradiction in terms.
What happens
Wittgenstein asserts that it is impossible to think anything illogical, because doing so would require thinking illogically, which is a contradiction in terms.
Themes in this chapter
Limits of Language and Thought
The proposition directly addresses the boundary of thinkable content, asserting that logic is a precondition for thought.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition; presents a foundational limit on thought.
Key passages
“We cannot think anything unlogical, for otherwise we should have to think unlogically.”
It is impossible to entertain an illogical thought, because that would require thinking in a way that violates logic itself.
Wittgenstein argues that logical form is inherent to the very act of thinking.