Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Post Doctoral Researcher of Philosophy, Tarbiat Modares University
Abstract
the essay tries to evaluate Wittgenstein's resolution to the riddle of Russell's negative facts. That is, when we say, for example, "Tehran is not the capital of Ireland" is true, what kind of truth–maker should we consider for the negative proposition because of its truth? Surely, a negative truth–maker is so problematic and counter–intuitive. Therefore, Wittgenstein has tried to show how it can be returned to the positive truth–makers. Thus, the paper first analyzes Wittgenstein's general resolutions to the nonexistents. Then it focuses on his special resolution to the negative facts riddle, i.e. Tractatus 2.05: "The totality of existent atomic facts also determines which atomic facts do not exist". Finally, after refuting some philosophers' criticisms, it shows his resolution's positive points and possible lacks.
Keywords
- Anscombe, G. E. M. (1963), An Introduction to Wittgenstein's Tractatus. Second Edition, Revised. Harper & Row, Publishers, New York.
- Armstrong, D. M. (2004), Truth and Truthmakers, Cambridge University Press
- Armstrong, D. M. (1989), A Combinatorial Theory of Possibility, Cambridge University Press
- Armstrong, D. M. (1997), A World of States of Affairs, Cambridge University Press
- Assadi, Mahdi (forthcoming 2016), "Muslim Logicians and Philosophers on the Epistemic Paradox of the Absolute Non–Existent", History and Philosophy of Logic,
- Black, Max (1971), A Companion to Wittgenstein's "Tractatus", Cambridge University Press.
- Brownstein, Donald (1973), "Negative Exemplification", American Philosophical Quarterly, 10 (1): 43 – 50.
- Capaldi, N. (1998), The Enlightenment Project in the Analytic Conversation, Philosophical Studies in Contemporary Culture, Volume 4, Springer–Science+Business Media, B.Y.
- Clack, Brian R. (1999), An Introduction to Wittgenstein's Philosophy of Religion, Edinburgh University Press.
- DeAngelis, William James (2007), Ludwig Wittgenstein – A Cultural Point of View: Philosophy in the Darkness of this Time (Ashgate Wittgensteinian Studies). Ashgate Publishing Company.
- Faye, Jan, Uwe Scheffler & Max Urchs (2000), Things, Facts and Events, Edited by, Rodopi.
- Findlay, J. N. (2006), Wittgenstein: A Critique, Routledge.
- Friedlander, Eli (2001), Signs of Sense: Reading Wittgenstein’s Tractatus, Harvard University Press.
- Fogelin, Robert (1995), The Arguments of the Philosophers: Wittgenstein. Second - Edition. Editor: Ted Honderich. London and New York: Routledge.
- Glock, Hans–Johann (2012), "Judgement and Truth in the Early Wittgenstein", In: Judgement and Truth in Early Analytic Philosophy and Phenomenology, Edited by Mark Textor, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 242–270.
- Hacker, P. M. S. (1997), Wittgenstein: on Human Nature, London: Phoenix.
- Hunnings, Gordon (1988), The World and Language in Wittgenstein's Philosophy, SUNY Press.
- Jago, Mark (2007), Wittgenstein, Humanities–Ebooks, LLP.
- Maslow, Alexander (1961), A Study in Wittgenstein's Tractatus, University of California Press.
- McDonough, Richard (1986), The Argument of the Tractatus: Its Relevance to Contemporary Theories of Logic, Language, Mind, and Philosophical Truth, SUNY Press.
- McGuinness, Brian (1988), Wittgenstein: A Life: Young Ludwig, 1889–1921, University of California Press.
- Morris, Michael (2008), Routledge Philosophy Guide to Wittgenstein and the Tractatus, Routledge.
- Oaklander, L. Nathan and Miracchi, Silvano (1980), "Russell, Negative Facts, and Ontology", Philosophy of Science, Vol. 47, No. 3, Septembr 1980, pp. 434–455.
- Ostrow, Matthew B. (2004), Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: A Dialectical Interpretation, Cambridge University Press.
- Pippin, Robert B. (1979), "Negation and Not–Being in Wittgenstein's Tractatus and Plato's Sophist", Kant–Studien, 70 (1–4):179–196.
- Plato (1997), Complete Works. Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by John M. Cooper Associate Editor: D. S. Hutchinson. Hackett Publishing Company.
- Priest, Graham (2000), "Truth and Contradiction", The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 50, No. 200. pp. 305–319.
- Reicher, Maria E. (2002), "Negative Facts, Ideal Meanings, and Intentionality", The Southern Journal of Philosophy, Vol.XL.
- Russell, Bertrand (1919), "On Propositions: What They Are and How They Mean". Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes, Vol. 2, Problems of Science and Philosophy, pp. 1–43.
- Russell, Bertrand (1972), The Philosophy of Logical Atomism. Published in the Routledge Classics in 2010.
- Silva, Marcos (2010), "Do We Really Need Negative Atomic Facts to Make Sense Out of the Tractarian Sense Theory?", 33rd International Wittgenstein Symposium (Kirchberg am Wechsel), Eds. E. Nemeth, R. Heinrich, W. Pichler, pp. 295–297.
- Simons, Peter (1992), "Logical Atomism and Its Ontological", Language, Truth and Ontology, Edited by: Kevin Mulligan, Philosophical Studies Series, vol. 51, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 157–179.
- Stock, Guy (1985), "Negation: Bradley and Wittgenstein", Philosophy, Vol. 60, No. 234, pp. 465–476.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (2010), Tractatus Logico–Philosophicus: German and English. Translated by C. K. Ogden. Routledge.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (2009), Philosophische Untersuchungen; Philosophical Investigations. Translated by G. E. M. Anscombe, P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, Revised Fourth Edition by P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte. Blackwell Publishing LTD.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1969), The Blue and Brown Books. Second Edition. Blackwell, Oxford UK & Cambridge USA. Reprinted 1998.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1993), Philosophische Grammatik. In: Wittgenstein's Nachlass MS 114 X. Edited by Alois Pichler. Wittgenstein Archives at the University of Bergen.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1974), Philosophical Grammar. Edited by Rush Rhees, Translated by Anthony Kenny. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Reprinted 2004.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1967), Zettel. (Bilingual Edition). Edited by G. E. M. Anscombe and G. H. Von Wright. Translated by G. E. M. Anscombe. Berkeley, Calif. University of California Press.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1981), Zettel. Second Edition. Edited by G. E. M. Anscombe bnd G. H. Von Wright. Translated by G. E. M. Anscombe. Basil Blackwell, Oxford. Reprinted 1998.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1965), "A Lecture on Ethics", The Philosophical Review, Vol. 74, No. 1., pp. 3–12.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1957), "Notes on Logic", The Journal of Philosophy, By: Harry T. Costello, 54, No. 9., pp. 230–245.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (2001), Wittgenstein’s Lectures: Cambridge, 1932–35, From the Notes of Alice Ambrose and Margaret Macdonald, Edited by Alice Ambrose, Great Books in Philosophy, Prometheus Books.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1933), The Yellow Book, In: Wittgenstein (2001). pp. 41–73.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1934–35), Lectures, 1934–35, In: Wittgenstein (2001). pp. 77–201.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (2008), Wittgenstein in Cambridge: Letters and Documents 1911–1951, Edited by: Brian McGuinness, Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
- Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1969), Notebooks 1914–1916, Edited by, G. H. von Wright and G. E. M. Anscombe, with an English Translation by G. E. M. Anscombe, Harper Torchbooks, New York and Evansto: Harper & Row, Publishers
Send comment about this article