Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: The Early Wittgenstein and the Tractatus
The Early Wittgenstein and the Tractatus
Knowledge check
Q1. According to the Tractatus, what is the role of language?
- A. To express emotions
- B. To represent facts ✓
- C. To create new meanings
- D. To question reality
Why: The Tractatus argues that language's primary function is to represent facts about the world through logical structure.
Q2. What does Wittgenstein mean by 'the limits of my language mean the limits of my world'?
- A. Language defines reality
- B. Thought is independent of language
- C. Language shapes our understanding of the world ✓
- D. Language is a tool for communication only
Why: Wittgenstein suggests that language influences and limits our perception and understanding of the world.
Q3. What is the 'picture theory of meaning' in the Tractatus?
- A. Language mirrors the structure of the mind
- B. Language mirrors the structure of the world ✓
- C. Language is a picture of history
- D. Language is a picture of the self
Why: According to Wittgenstein, language works by mirroring the logical structure of the world, allowing us to represent facts.
Q4. What does Wittgenstein call the 'unsayable' in the Tractatus?
- A. Logical propositions
- B. Ethical and metaphysical statements ✓
- C. Factual statements
- D. Scientific theories
Why: Wittgenstein claims that ethical, metaphysical, and other non-factual statements are 'unsayable' because they lie outside the realm of logical representation.
Q5. What is the main aim of the Tractatus according to Wittgenstein?
- A. To create a new language
- B. To show the limits of language ✓
- C. To define the meaning of life
- D. To explain the nature of God
Why: The main aim of the Tractatus is to clarify the limits of language and show what can and cannot be expressed logically.
Module 2
Module 2: Language and Meaning in the Tractatus
Language and Meaning in the Tractatus
Knowledge check
Q1. According to the Tractatus, what is the relationship between language and the world?
- A. Language is independent of the world
- B. Language pictures the world ✓
- C. Language creates the world
- D. Language has no relation to the world
Why: The Tractatus argues that language functions as a picture of reality, representing the structure of the world through logical form.
Q2. What does Wittgenstein mean by 'the limits of my language mean the limits of my world'?
- A. Language determines the boundaries of thought ✓
- B. Language is limitless
- C. The world is limitless
- D. Thought is independent of language
Why: Wittgenstein suggests that the boundaries of language define the limits of what we can think and experience.
Q3. What is the role of propositions in the Tractatus?
- A. To express logical truths
- B. To represent facts ✓
- C. To define moral values
- D. To express emotions
Why: In the Tractatus, propositions are seen as representations of facts, which are the basic building blocks of reality.
Q4. What does Wittgenstein mean by 'logical form' in the Tractatus?
- A. The structure of language that mirrors the structure of reality ✓
- B. The rules of grammar
- C. The syntax of propositions
- D. The meaning of words
Why: Logical form refers to the structural correspondence between language and the world, which allows propositions to picture reality.
Q5. According to the Tractatus, what is the function of philosophy?
- A. To create new languages
- B. To clarify thoughts and dissolve philosophical problems ✓
- C. To express metaphysical truths
- D. To develop ethical systems
Why: Philosophy, in the Tractatus, is seen as a way to clarify thoughts and dissolve confusion by showing the limits of language and thought.
Module 3
Module 3: The Shift to Ordinary Language
The Shift to Ordinary Language
Knowledge check
Q1. What is the main focus of Wittgenstein's later philosophy, as discussed in Module 3?
- A. The nature of reality
- B. The use of language in everyday life ✓
- C. The existence of God
- D. The structure of the universe
Why: Wittgenstein's later philosophy, particularly in the *Philosophical Investigations*, emphasizes the importance of understanding language through its use in ordinary, everyday contexts.
Q2. What does Wittgenstein mean by 'language games'?
- A. Games played with words
- B. Different ways of using language in various contexts ✓
- C. A theory of linguistic evolution
- D. A method of teaching children to speak
Why: 'Language games' refer to the various forms of language use that occur in different contexts, such as giving orders, describing objects, or telling stories.
Q3. According to Wittgenstein, what is the role of philosophy?
- A. To discover new scientific truths
- B. To clarify confusion about language ✓
- C. To provide moral guidance
- D. To develop logical systems
Why: In his later work, Wittgenstein believed that philosophy's role is to clarify confusion about language and the use of words, rather than to discover new truths or develop systems.
Q4. What does Wittgenstein mean by 'family resemblance'?
- A. A genetic similarity between people
- B. A shared set of features among related concepts ✓
- C. A linguistic rule that applies to all words
- D. A philosophical theory of identity
Why: 'Family resemblance' refers to the idea that concepts, such as games or numbers, are related not by a single defining feature, but by a network of overlapping similarities, much like members of a family.
Q5. What is Wittgenstein's view on the meaning of words?
- A. Words have fixed meanings defined by dictionaries
- B. Words derive their meaning from their use in specific contexts ✓
- C. Words are arbitrary symbols with no inherent meaning
- D. Words are purely logical constructs
Why: Wittgenstein argues that the meaning of words is not fixed or abstract, but is determined by how they are used in particular situations or 'language games'.
Module 4
Module 4: Philosophical Investigations and Rule-Following
Philosophical Investigations and Rule-Following
Module 5
Module 5: Private Language and the Limits of Meaning
Private Language and the Limits of Meaning
Module 6
Module 6: Wittgenstein on Mind and Intentionality
Wittgenstein on Mind and Intentionality
Module 7
Module 7: Comparing Early and Later Wittgenstein
Comparing Early and Later Wittgenstein