Comparison Of View Of Meaning Between Early And Later Wittgenstein

The problems of meaning and understanding are the core of AnalyticalPhilosophy. In the field of expounding the prior premise of meaning andunderstanding, the Wittgenstein's view of meaning is very peculiarity for the wholeAnalytical Philosophy. Whether the method or the illustration of the whole view ofmeaning, the especial constitution has been revealed. Clarifying the logic of languageis the aim of Wittgenstein's view of meaning, although the methods of early and lateridea are different. Different methods and idea bring different consequence,multi-angle endeavor result in deploring of recognition and clear overview. In Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Wittgenstein attempts to confirm themeaning of the word. He thinks that many problems which people meet are made up,just because we confuse the logic of language. Therefore he wants to clarify the logicof language so that man can point out the incorrect use of metaphysics. In the processof this endeavor, the problem of meaning is the key. We can generalize the earlyWittgenstein' view of meaning as follow. First, the same logic structure between the language and the world is the priorpremise of meaning' formation. The function of nomination and description that ourlanguage owns relies on this logic structure. It makes a kind of correspondencerelationship between the language and the world. Such relationship embodies thoughthe mode of picture. Second, such correspondence relationship embodying in the picture is thesource of that man can use the words to nominate the object, use the propositions todescribe the facts. At the same time, it makes the speech that is corresponding withthe logic possible. Last, a proposition is a picture of reality, fact is the meaning of proposition Onlywhen the proposition is corresponding with the logic. Otherwise the proposition willhave no meaning, just as the metaphysical proposition. For avoiding the phenomenathat a word without object corresponding with itself, we must know that "languagedisguises thought. So much so, that form the outward form of the clothing it isimpossible to infer the form of the thought beneath it, because the outward form ofthe clothing is not designed to reveal the form of the body, but for entirely differentpurpose."(TLP,4.002) So only we put the clothing that disguises thought off can wefind the intrinsic logic of language. As a word, early Wittgenstein's meaning mode is made up with "names─objects", "propositions─facts", and whether a proposition has meaning can bemeasured by the logical regulations and experience confirmation. Logical regulations and experience confirmation are the criterion of meaning,but it includes such a problem that may make the view of meaning of earlyWittgenstein collapsed. The problem is that how to combine the prior logical formand experience reality. Is the prior premise the result of analysis or the things that wemust accept? As for the concept "prior", it seems that they are accordance with eachother. In fact, a premise of logical analysis is made up by human thought. It is only asight that man explores the world, and it doesn't include "I". In other words, "I" lieoutside the world. The meaning of a word is endowed by the external power. As soonas the use of a word exceeding the limitation of external logical form, it's meaningwill vanish. But as a subject, cogitating itself is very necessary, it must take itself intothe world. So it is not enough to envelop the whole sight of the subject for thescientific meaning mode which relies on the logical analysis. On this ground, laterWittgenstein doesn't take the logical analysis and seeking of essence as the basis ofmeaning thought, by contraries he throws the sight into the life style andlanguage-game, incorporates the actions, language and games, finally delineates avivid meaning picture. In Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein suppose 'the meaning of a wordis its use'. A word has meaning only when its use is correspondence with the rules ofthe language games. "life style", " language-gam...