Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
4.123 explained
Wittgenstein defines an internal property as one that is unthinkable for its object not to possess, illustrating with the internal relation between shades of blue.
What happens
Wittgenstein defines an internal property as one that is unthinkable for its object not to possess, illustrating with the internal relation between shades of blue. He notes the shifting use of 'property', 'relation', and 'object'.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- 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
Discusses internal properties and relations as necessary features of objects, reflecting the atomistic view of simple objects and their essential connections.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition defining internal properties and relations.
Key passages
“A property is internal if it is unthinkable that its object does not possess it.”
An internal property is one that an object must have; we cannot conceive of the object without it.
Defines the concept of internal property in terms of necessity.
“This bright blue colour and that stand in the internal relation of bright and darker eo ipso . It is unthinkable that these two objects should not stand in this relation.”
Two shades of blue are inherently related as brighter and darker; it is impossible for them not to have this relation.
Illustrates internal relations with a concrete example from color.
