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Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter

3.201 explained

Wittgenstein introduces the concept of 'simple signs' as the fundamental elements of a completely analysed proposition, emphasizing that a fully analysed proposition consists of these irreducible components.

What happens

Wittgenstein introduces the concept of 'simple signs' as the fundamental elements of a completely analysed proposition, emphasizing that a fully analysed proposition consists of these irreducible components.

Themes in this chapter

  • Logical Atomism

    The notion of 'simple signs' as the ultimate constituents of a proposition aligns with the logical atomist view that complex propositions can be broken down into elementary parts.

Characters to notice

  • Mr. Wittgenstein

    Author of the proposition, defining simple signs and complete analysis.

Key passages

  • These elements I call 'simple signs' and the proposition 'completely analysed.'

    I refer to these basic components as 'simple signs,' and a proposition that is broken down into them is said to be 'fully analysed.'

    Wittgenstein defines the endpoint of propositional analysis.