The Shackles of Thought

The Shackles of Thought

"People often say that all philosophy is just footnotes to Plato. But this statement should be qualified with 'until Wittgenstein.'" -Waspy Hibap -

The brilliant philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein was born into an affluent Jewish family in Vienna, Austria, but after experiencing World War I in his middle age, he adopted a very ascetic lifestyle. His genius, upbringing in a wealthy household, painful memories of war, and existential struggles about Jewish identity seem to have complexly influenced his character. He was a polemicist who enjoyed interrupting others' conversations and was known for his genius.

Wittgenstein's genius was first recognized by the Nobel laureate and renowned linguist Russell, a professor at Cambridge University. He once praised Wittgenstein as "the only genius who completely understood Wittgenstein's doctoral thesis and made me realize that I was wrong." However, due to his dictatorial behavior, he couldn't maintain harmonious relationships.

Wittgenstein's followers were extremely devoted, even to the point of absurd religious fervor. They often exhibited a strong sense of pride and tended to look down on others. They were said to be even more "Wittgensteinian" than Wittgenstein himself.

His philosophy is intense. He argues that philosophical debates cannot be conducted through language. Language should merely describe and depict reality; it cannot answer fundamental questions about existence. Therefore, he says philosophical problems do not exist.

Language restricts the expression of thought, confines thought within language, distorts thought, and abstract enlightenment, when verbalized, becomes distorted.

We express feelings in words and provide dictionary definitions. It's as if we say, "This is what justice is!" Then we become trapped by the dictionary definition, thinking, "If it's not this, then it's not justice." Such limitations of thought obstruct the path to truth.

Michael J. Harris said, "If you can't express what you know in numbers, you don't know what you're talking about," and Park Ki-bok said, "Understanding is not just about knowing; it's about being able to explain. Only when you can explain what you know to someone else can you truly say you know it." However, I find Wittgenstein's statement, "Language cannot approach essence," more resonant.

In fact, Wittgenstein's argument echoes the claims made by Laozi in ancient China. Laozi criticized Confucius' moral norms as mere superficialities and falsehoods, not true Tao. He also said, "The Tao that can be expressed is not the true Tao," and advised to stop empty learning.

We try to define and clarify thoughts through language and words, but we inevitably drift away from truth. What language is limiting your life? Start by removing the language that makes you feel negative.