Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
3.031 explained
Wittgenstein critiques the traditional notion that God cannot create anything contrary to the laws of logic, arguing instead that we cannot even conceive of an 'unlogical' world, as logic sets the bounds of what can be meaningfully describe
What happens
Wittgenstein critiques the traditional notion that God cannot create anything contrary to the laws of logic, arguing instead that we cannot even conceive of an 'unlogical' world, as logic sets the bounds of what can be meaningfully described.
Themes in this chapter
Limits of Language and Thought
Wittgenstein argues that we cannot meaningfully speak of an 'unlogical' world, as logic defines the very framework of possible description.
Nonsense and Meaning
The idea of an 'unlogical' world is shown to be nonsensical, as it attempts to say what cannot be coherently thought or expressed.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition, challenging traditional theological and logical assumptions.
Key passages
“It used to be said that God could create everything, except what was contrary to the laws of logic. The truth is, we could not say of an 'unlogical' world how it would look.”
People once thought God could do anything except violate logic. But actually, we cannot even describe what a world that defies logic would be like.
Wittgenstein shifts the focus from divine power to the limits of meaningful language.