Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

Description

Perhaps the most important work of philosophy written in the twentieth century, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus was the only philosophical work that Ludwig Wittgenstein published during his lifetime. Written in short, carefully numbered paragraphs of extreme brilliance, it captured the imagination of a generation of philosophers. For Wittgenstein, logic was something we use to conquer a reality which is in itself both elusive and unobtainable. He famously summarized the book in the following words: 'What can be said at all can be said clearly; and what we cannot talk about we must pass over in silence.' David Pears and Brian McGuinness received the highest praise for their meticulous translation. The work is prefaced by Bertrand Russell's original introduction to the first English edition.

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 - 1951) is regarded by many as the most outstanding philosopher of the twentieth century.

'Among the productions of the twentieth century the Tractatus continues to stand out for its beauty and its power.' - A.J. Ayer; 'Mr Pears and Mr McGuinness have not only achieved a clear and natural English but have been meticulous in their care for accuracy.' - The Times Literary Supplement; 'Pears and McGuinness can claim our gratitude not for doing merely this (a better translation) but for doing it with such a near approach to perfection.'- Mind