Early vs. Late Wittgenstein: Three Shifts in the Philosophy of Language

This week we’re taking on Ludwig Wittgenstein—twice. Once as the sharp, logical architect of the Tractatus, and once as the skeptical, streetwise observer of Philosophical Investigations. His early and late philosophies clash, but each shaped how we think about language, thought, and meaning.

We’ll explore three major themes where his views dramatically shift:

What Is Language?

• Early view: Language is a precise system that pictures facts—if a sentence doesn’t match the structure of reality, it’s meaningless.
• Later view: There is no single essence of language. Words have many uses—questioning, commanding, joking, naming—and trying to force them all into one mold creates confusion.
• Discussion: Is language more like a map of the world or a set of tools we use in daily life?

How Does Meaning Work?

• Early view: Words get their meaning by referring to objects or facts in the world.
• Later view: Meaning isn’t fixed by reference—it comes from use within shared practices. Language is social, flexible, and shaped by context.
• Discussion: What gives a word its meaning: what it points to, or how we use it?

Can We Follow Rules Privately?

• Early view: Rules are embedded in logical form.
• Later view: Rules only make sense when their application is publicly checkable. If I claim to follow a rule but no one can tell whether I’m doing it correctly—not even myself—does it really count as a rule?
• Discussion: Can there be a purely private language—or is language always public at its core?

No prior knowledge is required—just curiosity. Whether you’ve read Wittgenstein or are hearing his name for the first time, this discussion is a chance to explore how language works, how it can mislead us, and why clarity might come from looking at ordinary life, not logic.

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