Ludwig Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein, acknowledged by many of the most prominent scholars in the history of philosophy as one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century, is in a sense the most unsuccessful philosopher of that century as well. His most important intellectual and personal moments occurred during the darkest periods in all of human history. His era proves Erich Fromm’s claim that humanity’s consensus is in folly, which will ultimately lead to the extinction of the human race. Therefore, his austere wisdom must be understood within the context of his time. Wittgenstein’s works precisely reflect the historical and intellectual developments of the decisive first half of the twentieth century. According to the author, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus can be considered the philosophical manifesto of the modern era, while Philosophical Investigations represents the discourse on method of the postmodern era.