Discuss this speech of wittgenstein "Philosophy is defined as I Know Not What"?

Question

only philosophistical terms

Answer 1

Why did two people ask this question? Anyhow, if my aswer is of any help:

To address only the part of Wittgenstein that I believe answers your question: Wittgenstein believed that the limits of language placed a limit on the expression of logic. He claimed that there is no representation of logical facts, and that there is no reality or world which can be expressed, so there is only representation of what we observe (not what is reality).

Therefore, I think that statement reflects Wittgenstein's acknowledgment that he cannot properly write about logic--in fact, the mere mention of reality is a contradiction, according to Wittgenstein's stance on language and expression.

Not that I can say I understand much of Wittgenstein, but I hope this part of his philosophy addresses your question.

Answer 2

I was unable to find a direct link to the context in which Wittgenstein utters this line, so I must go by the other material I've found. It seems he is all on about the myriad ways that language may be interpreted and how usage determines the meaning of the word or words in question. To apply this to a consideration of Philosophy, a definition made up of said words would be interpreted differently between individuals and between speakers of different languages. Thus, meanings would change, and even a basic definition would end up being unknowable in an absolute way.

This begs the question, why not use mathematics? It is concise, numerical, and its conclusions can be shown by proofs that bridge the gaps between languages. However, his point about interpretation is well-taken. I was interested to read, as a side note in a historical work on Japan, that they did not feel that the symbolic and poetic language of Japanese was suitable for expressing scientific concepts, and so they opted for French or German. Every language has its limitations, and it must open a unique ability within a single brain when a person grows up multilingual. But even then, how could that person convey a concept to another person whose thought processes are shaped so differently?

As Wittgenstein himself says, ""Philosophy aims at the logical clarification of thoughts." His concerns about meanings changing with the language of expression and its interpretation by different individuals would seem to point at "I know not what" being the norm, rather than the exception in the area of any art or science based on interpretation of words.

Answer 3

I know not what starts with an enquiring mind which acknowledges it's limitations which quest for the knowing.