Wittgenstein's Warning: Don't Let Nonsense Bewitch You

Wittgenstein’s Warning: Don’t Let Nonsense Bewitch You

More than any contemporary thinker, Wittgenstein is unequalled in lifting the veil of bewitchment that has plagued modern man. The existentialist deeply felt it and try as they did to escape from its deadly grip only succeeded in ending up with a meaningless existence. Everybody else was not even faintly aware where this feeling of alienation was coming from. People tried all means in their power to silence this nagging feeling yet the more they struggle with it the stronger grows the feeling of being lost.

Wittgenstein singlehandedly wrestled with the demons who were orchestrating behind the scene. With his extraordinarily keen mind he saw the seemingly innocuous yet deadly instrument that was used to dupe men into believing that something important and serious was going own. Because of our total dependence on words who would ever think it can do us any harm?  But this was what Wittgenstein clearly saw and he was horrified. He could hardly believe that so many lives were lost by the presumed power of words but when analyzed, really are just nothing, having no sense at all…just plain nonsense. Words are nothing but artificial symbols which only acquire meaning according to what seem fit and purely for our convenience. The more conventional they get the more would they be imbued with authority. Meanings are not in words.  Meanings are determined by those who use it.

And so it came to pass that a whole civilization stands supported by it laws and promulgations that meant life or death for those who were vulnerable to it. Whatever the powers that be say, so shall it be done. There was a blurring of distinction between what was said and who it was who was saying it. Those who had less understanding even entertained the idea that words by themselves have meanings of their own. And so the magic started and the subsequent bewitchment. Like children we were entranced by their dazzling colors.

We are then bewitched by nonsense. Words which by themselves have no sense of their own decide the fate of men and shape events. Like the prophets of old, Wittgenstein thundered his warning to awaken people from their apathy and complacency. Just as Emmanuel Kant was awaked by his dogmatic slumber by the seeing through Hume’s ebullient but scathing attack on reason, Wittgenstein awakened the sharpest and finest minds of his age (Russell, Moore, Carnap of the Vienna Circle) to take a serious look on how language succeeded in duping us into believing that they have power of their own. A whole movement spontaneously sprung up to life invariably nomenclatured as positivism, logical positivism or ordinary language analysis. Never before had language been held on trial.

To be misled in believing the truth of something which is untrue is fairly serious. But to be misled by nonsense is the height of madness. The only escape from this ignominious situation is to make sense out of nonsense. Realize that nonsense has succeeded in making a fool of us, of causing death to untold number of victims by means of a decrees, promulgations, bylaws and constitutions.

Be careful with words. They are just ladders so we can see what lies beyond the walls. When we are through with them, we can kick them away.