# 6.3211 explained — Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

> Chapter companion for Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig Wittgenstein.

## What happens

Wittgenstein discusses the a priori certainty of the 'law of least action,' noting that the idea preceded precise knowledge, and that such certainty is purely logical.

## Themes in this chapter

### Logic and Tautology

The a priori certainty of the law of least action is identified as purely logical, aligning with the theme that logical propositions are tautologies.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Wittgenstein

Author of the proposition; presents the observation about the law of least action.

## Key lines

> Men had indeed an idea that there must be a “law of least action,” before they knew exactly how it ran. (Here, as always, the a priori certain proves to be something purely logical.)

People intuitively believed in a 'law of least action' before its precise formulation, and this a priori certainty is always a matter of logic, not empirical fact.

_Wittgenstein uses the law of least action to demonstrate that a priori certainty is logical in nature._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tractatus_logico_philosophicus_se/chapters/6-3211
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tractatus_logico_philosophicus_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tractatus_logico_philosophicus_se/chapters