Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
3.318 explained
Wittgenstein aligns with Frege and Russell in conceiving the proposition as a function of the expressions contained within it, emphasizing the functional nature of propositions.
What happens
Wittgenstein aligns with Frege and Russell in conceiving the proposition as a function of the expressions contained within it, emphasizing the functional nature of propositions.
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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 as a function of its constituent expressions reflects the logical atomist view of language.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition, presenting his view.
- Frege
Mentioned as one of the thinkers whose conception of the proposition Wittgenstein adopts.
- Bertrand Russell
Mentioned alongside Frege as sharing the view of propositions as functions of expressions.
Key passages
“I conceive the proposition—like Frege and Russell—as a function of the expressions contained in it.”
Wittgenstein, following Frege and Russell, views a proposition as a function of the words or symbols that make it up.
Clarifies the functional interpretation of propositions.
