Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
2.012 explained
Wittgenstein asserts that in logic, nothing is accidental; the possibility of a thing occurring in an atomic fact is already inherent in the thing itself.
What happens
Wittgenstein asserts that in logic, nothing is accidental; the possibility of a thing occurring in an atomic fact is already inherent in the thing itself.
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Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story’s dramatic climax because it presents the moment when the protagonist’s obsessive…
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Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Logical Atomism
The proposition discusses the inherent possibility of a thing occurring in an atomic fact, a core concept of logical atomism.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition
Key passages
“In logic nothing is accidental: if a thing can occur in an atomic fact the possibility of that atomic fact must already be prejudged in the thing.”
In logic, there are no coincidences: if an object can be part of a basic state of affairs, that possibility is already built into the object itself.
Clarifies the deterministic nature of logical possibility.
