A Comparative Analysis of Early and Late Ludwig Wittgensteins Philosophical Thoughts

Abstract

This paper examines the early and late thoughts of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein through the comparative study of two of his famous works: Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and Philosophical Investigations. A whole summary of the two works will not be presented in this paper; instead, essential concepts and ideas from the same two topics Wittgensteins view on language and reality and Wittgensteins view on logic will be summarized from the two works independently. After the summary, a discussion of Wittgensteins thought evolvements on the same topic will be delivered. The paper examines the essay with a critical analysis of the two contrary perspectives through links to historical background and an evaluation of the ideas. Even though Wittgensteins works have been extensively studied, this presentation will demonstrate them from a broader perspective. This essay aims to provide an in-depth review of Wittgensteins philosophical movements of thought in areas including meaning, logic, and the philosophy of language.