Ludwig Wittgenstein's Topographical Sketches: Boundaries of Thought and Language

In this paper the relationship between language, thought and philosophy is presented through a consideration of these themes in Ludwig Wittgenstein's works. As Wittgenstein presented his views primarily as text fragments and not complete texts, they form a good basis for discussing the problem of how language is used in the contemporary world. This also implies a need to return to the questions concerning the frame of thought, and the role and tasks of philosophy at the beginning of the 21st century. Crucial in that sense is Wittgenstein's understanding of language as activity, considerations of the position of thought, and view of philosophy as an activity that allows us to be confronted with flawed thinking. By dwelling on these key points of Wittgenstein's philosophy, we stress the importance of continuous reconsideration of the boundaries of thought and language. This paper aims to show, through contradictions commonly detected in Wittgenstein's thinking, to what extent we still continue to wonder about the basic philosophical questions regarding language faced with new forms brought through the development of technology.