The tutorial will be focused on Wittgenstein’s logic in the Tractatus. It is divided into three sections:.

I. Quantification
In the first section, we will explore Wittgenstein’s account of quantification. See in particular sections 5.3, 5.501 and 5.52 of the Tractatus.

II. Decidability
In the second section, we will explore Wittgenstein’s philosophy of logic. In particular, we will focus on Wittgenstein’s claim that “proof in logic is merely a mechanical expedient to facilitate the recognition of tautologies in complicated cases” (6.1262). See also section: 6.1203.

III. The color exclusion problem
Finally, in the last section, we will discuss the color exclusion problem and Wittgenstein’s later attempt to overcome the shortcomings of his logical atomism. See in particular section 6.3751: “For example, the simultaneous presence of two colours at the same place in the visual field is impossible, in fact logically impossible, since it is ruled out by the logical structure of colour. Let us think how this contradiction appears in physics: more or less as follows—a particle cannot have two velocities at the same time; that is to say, it cannot be in two places at the same time; that is to say, particles that are in different places at the same time cannot be identical. (It is clear that the logical product of two elementary propositions can neither be a tautology nor a contradiction. The statement that a point in the visual field has two different colours at the same time is a contradiction.)”

Bibliography

Allaire, E. (1958). “Tractatus 6.3751”, Analysis, 19, (5)

Anscombe, E. (1959). An Introduction to Wittgenstein’s Tractatus. Hutchinson University Library

Fogelin, R. (1976). Wittgenstein. Routledge & Kegan Paul

Frascolla, P. (2006). Understanding Wittgenstein’s Tractatus. Routledge

Geach, P. (1981). “Wittgenstein’s Operator N”, Analysis, 41 (4)

Geach, P. (1982). “More on Wittgenstein’s Operator N”, Analysis, 42 (3)

Hacker, P. (1972). Insight and Illusion. Oxford University Press

Kenny, A. (1973/2006). Wittgenstein. Blackwell

Ramsey, F. (1823). “Critical Notice of the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus”, Mind, Vol. 32

Soames, S. (1983). “Generality, Truth Functions, and Expressive Capacity in the Tractatus”, The Philosophical Review, 92 (4)

Waismann, F. (1965). The Principles of Linguistic Philosophy. Macmillan