Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus · Chapter
6.3211 explained
Wittgenstein discusses the a priori certainty of the 'law of least action,' noting that the idea preceded precise knowledge, and that such certainty is purely logical.
What happens
Wittgenstein discusses the a priori certainty of the 'law of least action,' noting that the idea preceded precise knowledge, and that such certainty is purely logical.
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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
- Logic and Tautology
The a priori certainty of the law of least action is identified as purely logical, aligning with the theme that logical propositions are tautologies.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Wittgenstein
Author of the proposition; presents the observation about the law of least action.
Key passages
“Men had indeed an idea that there must be a “law of least action,” before they knew exactly how it ran. (Here, as always, the a priori certain proves to be something purely logical.)”
People intuitively believed in a 'law of least action' before its precise formulation, and this a priori certainty is always a matter of logic, not empirical fact.
Wittgenstein uses the law of least action to demonstrate that a priori certainty is logical in nature.
