Philosophical Investigations

Ludwig Wittgenstein

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Important Quotations

"For a large class of cases—though not for all—in which we employ the word 'meaning' it can be defined thus: the meaning of a word is its use in the language." (Part I, section 43)


"We must do away with all explanation, and description alone must take its place." (Part I, section 109)


"If language is to be a means of communication there must be agreement not only in definitions but also (queer as this may sound) in judgments." (Part I, section 242)


"My aim is: to teach you to pass from a piece of disguised nonsense to something that is patent nonsense." (Part I, section 464)


"If God had looked into our minds he would not have been able to see there whom we were speaking of." (Part II, p. 217)


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