Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

<p>Perhaps this book will be understood only by someone who has himself already had the thoughts that are expressed in it-or at least similar thoughts.-So it is not a textbook.-Its purpose would be achieved if it gave pleasure to one person who read and understood it.</p><p>The book deals with the problems of philosophy and shows I believe that the reason why these problems are posed is that the logic of our language is mis- understood. The whole sense of the book might be summed up the following words: what can be said at all can be said clearly and what we cannot talk about we must pass over in silence.</p><p>Thus the aim of the book is to draw a limit to thought or rather-not to thought but to the expression of thoughts: for in order to be able to draw a limit to thought we should have to find both sides of the limit thinkable (i.e. we should have to be able to think what cannot be thought).</p><p>It will therefore only be in language that the limit can be drawn and what lies on the other side of the limit will simply be nonsense.</p><p>I do not wish to judge how far my efforts coincide with those of other philosophers. Indeed what I have written here makes no claim to novelty in detail and the reason why I give no sources is that it is a matter of indifference to me whether the thoughts that I have had have been anticipated by someone else.</p><p>I will only mention that I am indebted to Frege's great works and to the writings of my friend Mr. Bertrand Russell for much of the stimulation of my thoughts.</p><p>If this work has any value it consists in two things: the first is that thoughts are expressed in it and on this score the better the thoughts are expressed-the more the nail has been hit on the head-the greater will be its value.-Here I am conscious of having fallen a long way short of what is possible. Simply because my powers are too slight for the accomplishment of the task.-May others come and do it better.</p><p>On the other hand the truth of the thoughts that are here communicated seems to me unassailable and definitive. I therefore believe myself to have found on all essential points the final solution of the problems. And if I am not mistaken in this belief then the second thing in which the of this work consists is that it shows how little is achieved when these problems are solved.</p><p><br></p><p>L.W. Vienna 1918</p>