The major problem surrounding historiology is that as long as the nature of time and historicity are not understood, the concept of process appears artificially grafted onto its explanations, rather than the explanations deriving from the concept. That is why we must insist that a rigorous approach be taken with this problem. But time and again philosophy has had to abandon its attempts to develop such an explanation—for example, in the case of its endeavor to be a positive science, as in Comte; a science of logic, as in Hegel; a critique of language, as in Wittgenstein; or a science of propositional calculus, as in Russell. Therefore, when phenomenology does in fact appear to fulfill the requirements of a rigorous science, we are led to ask whether there is in it the possibility of giving a foundation to historiology. Before this can happen, however, we must deal with a few difficulties. 

In: Historiological Discussions, Silo

Chapter 3: History and Temporality, 3.1 Temporality and Process

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 - 1951)

Topics

• Philosophy of language: Wittgenstein was concerned with the nature of language and its relationship to reality. In his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, he suggested that language functions as a logical representation of facts. He argues that the meaning of sentences is linked to their ability to describe states in the world.

For example, ‘The cat is lying on the carpet’ is a logical expression even if the cat is not lying on the carpet, because we can imagine it. But you cannot imagine the ‘meaning of life’.

• Language games: in his Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein introduces the concept of ‘language games’, which emphasises the diversity of language use in different contexts. He rejects the idea of a fixed essence of language and argues that meaning is determined by usage and social context.

• Criticism of logical positivism (an analytical and scientific approach in philosophy that aims to establish a solid foundation for knowledge by rejecting metaphysical speculation): Wittgenstein criticises logical positivism, in particular the principle of verifiability, which states that the meaning of a sentence must be empirically verifiable. He challenges this distinction between meaningful and non-meaningful statements, thereby broadening our understanding of what can be considered meaningful.

• The nature of reality and knowledge: His philosophy also addresses questions about the nature of reality and how we can know the world. Wittgenstein insists that our perceptions and experiences are always mediated by language, which influences our understanding of reality.

• Historicity and subjectivity: The question of historicity is also present in his thinking, particularly with regard to how linguistic practices and meanings develop over time and in different cultural contexts. This raises questions about subjectivity and individuality in the construction of meaning.

• Philosophy as therapy: Wittgenstein viewed philosophy as a form of therapy, aimed at clearing up conceptual confusions. He believed that many philosophical problems resulted from misunderstandings about language and that clearing up these misunderstandings could clear up the problems.

Major works

• ‘Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus’ (1922): This is Wittgenstein's fundamental work, in which he develops his theory of the image of language. He argues that language maps reality through a system of logical sentences. Meaningful statements are those that describe states in the world. This work had a great influence on analytical philosophy and logical positivism.

• Philosophical Investigations (published posthumously in 1953): In this work, Wittgenstein criticises and questions the ideas presented in the ‘Tractatus’. He focuses on the use of language in everyday contexts and introduces terms such as ‘language games’ and ‘life forms’.

Influence

Wittgenstein's work had a profound influence on analytical philosophy, shifting the focus from metaphysical questions to the analysis of language and its use. His ideas continue to inspire generations of philosophers and researchers in fields such as linguistics, psychology and social theory.