Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
5.55 explained
Wittgenstein argues that the forms of elementary propositions must be answerable a priori, but because the number of names with distinct meanings is indeterminate, the specific composition of any elementary proposition cannot be given.
What happens
Wittgenstein argues that the forms of elementary propositions must be answerable a priori, but because the number of names with distinct meanings is indeterminate, the specific composition of any elementary proposition cannot be given.
Themes in this chapter
Logical Atomism
The discussion of elementary propositions composed of names reflects the logical atomist view that language is built from simple, unanalyzable elements.
Limits of Language and Thought
The inability to give the composition of elementary propositions highlights the limits of what can be expressed or known a priori.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition; presents the a priori question about elementary propositions.
Key passages
“We must now answer a priori the question as to all possible forms of the elementary propositions.”
We need to determine in advance, without empirical investigation, what all possible structures of basic propositions are.
Wittgenstein sets the task of deriving the logical forms of elementary propositions from pure reason.
“The elementary proposition consists of names. Since we cannot give the number of names with different meanings, we cannot give the composition of the elementary proposition.”
A basic proposition is made up of names, but because the count of names that have distinct referents is unknowable, we cannot specify the exact makeup of any elementary proposition.
This underscores a fundamental limitation in fully describing the logical structure of language.