Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
5.5352 explained
Wittgenstein critiques the attempt to express 'There are no things' using the formula '~(∃x).x=x', arguing that even if it were a proposition, it would fail to capture the intended meaning because it could be true even if things existed but
What happens
Wittgenstein critiques the attempt to express 'There are no things' using the formula '~(∃x).x=x', arguing that even if it were a proposition, it would fail to capture the intended meaning because it could be true even if things existed but were not identical with themselves.
Themes in this chapter
Nonsense and Meaning
The proposed formula is questioned as to whether it even constitutes a meaningful proposition
Limits of Language and Thought
Highlights the difficulty of expressing non-existence within logical notation
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the critique
Key passages
“Similarly it was proposed to express “There are no things” by “ ~ ( ∃ x ) . x = x ”. But even if this were a proposition—would it not be true if indeed “There were things,” but these were not identical with themselves?”
Someone suggested using the formula '~(∃x).x=x' to say 'There are no things.' But even if we treat that formula as a genuine proposition, wouldn't it be true in a scenario where things exist but none of them are identical to themselves?
Wittgenstein exposes a flaw in a proposed logical translation of non-existence