Comparative Analysis of the Differences and Relations between Early and Later philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein
Abstract
Many scholars regard Ludwig Wittgenstein's philosophical contributions as having left an indelible mark on 20th-century thought, particularly through his exploration of language’s role in human understanding. His philosophical focus centred on the analysis of language, and his intellectual journey can be understood through two distinct phases: the early philosophy represented by "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus" and the later philosophy articulated in "Philosophical Investigations." In the Tractatus, Wittgenstein argued that philosophical issues arise from misinterpreting the logical structure of language, and he sought to clarify this structure. Conversely, in his later writing, especially Philosophical Investigation, he maintained his focus on logic and language but adopted a more practical and less formal method in addressing philosophical questions. Here, the main objective of this research is to explain both early and later Wittgenstein philosophy, mainly concerning the differences and relations of the two views. Several methodologies, such as textual, comparative analysis, critical and analytical methods, were used to analyse and develop this paper. This research study mainly used primary and secondary sources as they are available. Based on the textual and comparative analysis conducted in this study, it can be concluded that Wittgenstein articulated two distinct philosophical perspectives. He himself noted that he wished to publish his later work, particularly Philosophical Investigations, alongside the Tractatus to highlight the contrast between his earlier and later ideas. Although he frequently critiqued his initial standpoint, it would be inaccurate to claim a complete departure, as certain elements of continuity remain between the two phases of his thought. Throughout both his early and later philosophical works, Wittgenstein consistently engaged in clarifying propositions and aimed to prevent us from being misled by the deceptive nature of everyday language.
