Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
4.012 explained
Wittgenstein argues that a proposition of the form 'a R b' is perceived as a picture, where the sign is a likeness of what it signifies.
What happens
Wittgenstein argues that a proposition of the form 'a R b' is perceived as a picture, where the sign is a likeness of what it signifies.
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…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Picture Theory of Language
The proposition a R b is presented as a direct picture of reality, with the sign resembling the signified.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition
Key passages
“It is obvious that we perceive a proposition of the form a R b as a picture. Here the sign is obviously a likeness of the signified.”
We clearly see a proposition like 'a R b' as a depiction; the sign directly resembles what it represents.
Wittgenstein asserts the pictorial nature of relational propositions.
