Holism and Atomism in Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

• Main Author: Krystian Bogucki
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego 2021-01-01
• Series: Analiza i Egzystencja
• Subjects: Ludwig Wittgenstein; Holism; Atomism; Meaning; Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.
• Online Access: https://wnus.edu.pl/aie/en/issue/1171/article/18911/

The aim of my paper is to describe and evaluate different conceptions of holism in Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. I distinguish three readings of holistic elements in this work: i) Minimal Holism (E. Anscombe, M. Black, D. Pears); ii) Moderate Holism (J. Conant, C. Diamond, G. Ryle); and iii) Radical Holism (G. Bar-Elli, M. Kremer, P. Livingston). The conclusion is that the most viable option is the Moderate Holism since it embraces the logico-syntactial notion of use, rejects anachronistic interpretation of Tractatarian ontology and allows us to see that the holistic elements are complementary to the initial atomism of the work. Moreover, I point to the consequences of the topic for the overall reading of Wittgenstein’s early and late work.