Single Idea 22311

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / d. Negative facts]

Full Idea

The world is determined by the facts, and by these being all the facts.

Gist of Idea

The world is determined by the facts, and there are no further facts

Source

Ludwig Wittgenstein (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus [1921], 1.11), quoted by Michael Potter - The Rise of Analytic Philosophy 1879-1930 47 'Mole'

Book Reference

Potter,Michael: 'The Rise of Anaytic Philosophy 1879-1930' [Routledge 2020], p.322


A Reaction

He is denying negative facts (also written to Russell in 1919). Best approached through truthmakers, I suspect. There is no truthmaker for the supposed factual claim 'there are birds on Mars' - so it is a fact that there are no birds on Mars.