Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
3.11 explained
Wittgenstein explains that the perceptible sign of a proposition (spoken or written) serves as a projection of a possible state of affairs, and the method of this projection is the thinking of the proposition's sense.
What happens
Wittgenstein explains that the perceptible sign of a proposition (spoken or written) serves as a projection of a possible state of affairs, and the method of this projection is the thinking of the proposition's sense.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
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
- Picture Theory of Language
The proposition as a projection of a possible state of affairs directly relates to the picture theory, where language depicts reality.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition; presents the theory of projection.
Key passages
“We use the sensibly perceptible sign (sound or written sign, etc. ) of the proposition as a projection of the possible state of affairs.”
The physical form of a proposition (spoken or written) is used to map onto a potential situation in reality.
Clarifies the role of the propositional sign as a projection.
“The method of projection is the thinking of the sense of the proposition.”
The way we connect the sign to the situation is through the act of thinking about what the proposition means.
Defines the mental process that links language to reality.
