470 – „Der Zweck der Philosophie ist die logische Klärung der Gedanken. Die Philosophie ist keine Lehre, sondern eine Tätigkeit. Ein philosophisches Werk besteht wesentlich aus Erläuterungen. Das Resultat der Philosophie sind nicht „philosophische Sätze“, sondern das Klarwerden von Sätzen. Die Philosophie soll die Gedanken, die sonst, gleichsam, trübe und verschwommen sind, klar machen und scharf abgrenzen.“

“Philosophy aims at the logical clarification of thoughts. Philosophy is not a body of doctrine but an activity. A philosophical work consists essentially of elucidations. Philosophy does not result in ‘philosophical propositions,’ but rather in the clarification of propositions. Without philosophy thoughts are, as it were, cloudy and indistinct: its task is to make them clear and to give them sharp boundaries.”

–Ludwig Wittgenstein [See source notes for an alternative translation]

Quote Number:  716

Source: Wittgenstein, Ludwig. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. 4.112.

Source Notes: I did not translate this quote, the source I found it on listed the original German, as well as two English variations. The above translation was done by Charles Kay Ogden, with the entire work available here on Wikisource. The alternative translation is “Philosophy is not a theory but an activity. A philosophical work consists essentially of elucidations. The result of philosophy is not a number of “philosophical propositions.” but to make propositions clear.”

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