Single Idea 18706

[catalogued under 2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 8. Category Mistake / a. Category mistakes]

Full Idea

'Blue' and 'brown' are of the same kind, for the substitution of one for the other, though it may falsify the proposition, does not make nonsense of it.

Gist of Idea

Words of the same kind can be substituted in a proposition without producing nonsense

Source

Ludwig Wittgenstein (Lectures 1930-32 (student notes) [1931], A I.4)

Book Reference

Wittgenstein,Ludwig: 'Lectures in Cambridge 1930-32', ed/tr. Lee,Desmond [Blackwell 1980], p.3


A Reaction

He chooses an easy example, because they are determinates of the determinable 'coloured'. What if I say 'the sky is blue', and then substitute 'frightening' for 'blue'?