Ludwig Wittgenstein quotes

Ludwig Wittgenstein was an Austrian-British philosopher, widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. His works transformed analytic philosophy, especially in the areas of language, logic, and the philosophy of mind. He is known for his books "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus" and "Philosophical Investigations," which continue to shape philosophical debate. Here are 268 of his quotes:

The human body is the best picture of the human soul.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Our greatest stupidities may be very wise.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Resting on your laurels is as dangerous as resting when you are walking in the snow. You doze off and die in your sleep.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

For a truly religious man nothing is tragic.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

The world is the totality of facts, not of things.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Philosophy is like trying to open a safe with a combination lock: each little adjustment of the dials seems to achieve nothing, only when everything is in place does the door open.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

A philosopher who is not taking part in discussions is like a boxer who never goes into the ring.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

A confession has to be part of your new life.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

What is your aim in philosophy? To show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

It is an hypothesis that the sun will rise tomorrow: and this means that we do not know whether it will rise.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

I sit astride life like a bad rider on a horse. I only owe it to the horse's good nature that I am not thrown off at this very moment.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

It seems to me that, in every culture, I come across a chapter headed "Wisdom." And then I know exactly what is going to follow: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

Ludwig Wittgenstein

A man's thinking goes on within his consciousness in a seclusion in comparison with which any physical seclusion is an exhibition to public view.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Someone who knows too much finds it hard not to lie.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

What can be shown, cannot be said.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Logic takes care of itself; all we have to do is to look and see how it does it.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

One often makes a remark and only later sees how true it is.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

The face is the soul of the body.

Ludwig Wittgenstein