If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
Ludwig WittgensteinRead
Hegel seems to me to be always wanting to say that things which look different are really the same. Whereas my interest is in showing that things which look the same are really different. I was thinking of using as a motto for my book a quotation from King Lear: 'I’ll teach you differences'. ... 'You’d be surprised' wouldn’t be a bad motto either.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Wittgenstein emphasizes the importance of recognizing differences between seemingly similar things.
In this quote, Wittgenstein contrasts his perspective with that of Hegel, suggesting that while Hegel focuses on the commonalities in appearances, he himself is more interested in highlighting the unique differences that often go unnoticed. This underscores the complexity in understanding the world, where two entities may appear identical at first glance but possess fundamental distinctions that deserve attention.
Themes
DifferencesSimilarityUnderstandingPerceptionPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophy lecture discussing the nature of perception and reality.
More from Ludwig Wittgenstein
All quotes →One cannot guess how a word functions. One has to look at its use and learn from that. But the difficulty is to remove the prejudice which stands in the way of doing this. It is not a stupid prejudice.
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My day passes between logic, whistling, going for walks, and being depressed. I wish to God that I were more intelligent and everything would finally become clear to me - or else that I needn't live much longer.
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