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Single Idea 18349

[from 'Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus' by Ludwig Wittgenstein, in 3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 11. Truthmaking and Correspondence ]

Full Idea

In 1922 Wittgenstein said that every truth has a truth-maker, but only atomic truths correspond to their truth-makers.

Gist of Idea

All truths have truth-makers, but only atomic truths correspond to them

Source

report of Ludwig Wittgenstein (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus [1921]) by Adolph Rami - Introduction: Truth and Truth-Making note 04

Book Reference

'Truth and Truth-Making', ed/tr. Lowe,E.J./Rami,A. [Acumen 2009], p.35


A Reaction

Presumably this is what logical atomism is meant to be (cf Russell). The atomic sentences plug into the world, and the rest are constructions from them, making the latter more remote from the truth-makers.

Related Idea

Idea 18348 Not only atomic truths, but also general and negative truths, have truth-makers [Russell, by Rami]