On The Image Theory Of Wittgenstein

In the , Wittgenstein thinks philosophical problem is put forward based on the misunderstandings of the logic of our language, reason is that philosophical problem is not in the narrative field, but in the unutterable field, or philosophical problem is not in the person's thought realm. To clarify or to prove it, he must give thought to the operational level, implement the delimitation of language, in other words, the delimitation of what can be said and what not. What can be said and what not proves to be the major theme of the image theory which is constructed elaborately, Wittgenstein thinks itself is the fundamental question of philosophy. However, we find out through in-depth analysis the veins of the traditional philosophy which the image theory tries to negate, such as the pursuit of absolute certainty, the belief of absolute value, the affirmation of absolute good, etc. The image theory when it is used as a logical theory or language theory to understand, has its own various imperfect places, such as simplicity, the assumption of certainty based on simplicity, etc, but it has revealed the deep part, like Kant who tries to prove the limitation of reason, Wittgenstein tries to prove the limitation of language, and dispel metaphysical mist, that purpose of thought Wittgenstein persists in throughout his work.The first part of this article introduces the origin of the image theory. The fundamental cause of the image theory is that under the influence of previous works , especially under the influence of Frege and Russell's work on language and logic, Wittgenstein stepped on the long road of the thinking for language,logic and the existence. The direct cause, according to reports, when he was in the trenches in eastern during wartime, read a magazine which mentioned a court in Paris tried to show an actual traffic accident by toy model, that gave him the inspiration of the image theory. So the image theory is a way which is used by Wittgenstein to search the existence which, according to Wittgenstein, composed by two aspects, one side is utterance, the other side is silence. "All my task in this thesis, is to explain the essence of proposition, in other words, to regulate the essence of all facts. That proposition is the image of fact. To regulate the essence of all the existence." The regulation is essentially through the delimitation, in other words, " what can be said can be said clearly, what we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence. " Wittgenstein believes that he has solved the problem of philosophy in the process of the delimitation.The second part of this article tries to explain the content of the image theory and to demonstrate the paradox of it in detail. The first problem which the image theory tries to solve is what can be said and how to say clearly, which necessarily involves the essence of the language and the relationship between the language and the world.In order to analyze the relationship between the language and the world, and then specify how can the language express the world, Wittgenstein uses the projection method to analyze the world and the language respectively, and points out not only in structural components but also in the form and structure exist one-to-one relationship between language and the world. The relationship between the world and the language is like the projection. I try to demonstrate in this article that though the projection method looks simple and clear, it is unable to solve the contradictions which hides in the theory. For example, the object is not real, but the product of logical analysis. It is based on two requirements: the requirement of absolute analysis and the requirement of absolute certainty which put the theory in trouble. The object is to ensure that the world has a stable form and the proposition has a definite meaning, but in fact it does not reach the requirement. Correspondingly, the name has similar contradictions. On the level of a state of affairs,the original proposition,things and propositions, Wittgenstein has made bold and arbitrary regulation to reach his purpose that " what can be said can be said clearly ". But the regulation is hypothesis, which can not afford the meticulous review. Even if we admit Wittgenstein's regulation, the image theory because of the regulations has paid its own price that we find in this framework, what can be clearly said is so little.In this paper I point out that all kinds of regulations and requirements in the image theory set in a fundamentally essentialism complex. Essentialism complex in philosophical history can be traced back to ancient Greek. Though Wittgenstein's trying to end the traditional philosophical question, but in subconscious he is under the influence of the traditional philosophy and tries to give the essence of the language and the world. This has caused the incompleteness and paradox of the image theory.The third part of this article analyses"what we cannot speak about"which the image theory trying to reveal and points out that though the strict, rigid delimitation has caused some problems, it is the result of deep thinking. It makes our spirit realm such as the ethical realm wider and deeper. Wittgenstein doesn't deny that we can speak about the usually sense of ethics, but he thinks that is because they are not real value judgment, in other words, the relative value judgment can be reduced to fact description. And the absolute value judgment such as"good itself is good"is ineffable. The recognition for"what we cannot speak about"characterizes the limitations of man, the existence of nets, the limitation of rational thinking and language.The fourth part of this article summarizes the image theory and points out its future development according to Wittgenstein's later philosophy. Although the thinking mode of the image theory, brings some difficulties, the problem it is trying to solve is deep. Later Wittgenstein abandoned this thinking mode and turned to the theory of language games. The way to solve the problem has changed, but the deep purpose has not changed, in other words, the exploration of the existence, the respect for Mystery, and the treatment of philosophical diseases are the persevering theme of Wittgenstein's philosophical thinking.