An Ontological Analysis Of Possibilities In Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

The first chapter points out: As the pre-philosophical foundation of possible-world theories,the modal thoughts in Tractatus enjoy a high significance in research.Its notion of possibilities is based on the ontological notion of possible worlds,objects,and states of affairs.Professor Brian Skyrms,Raymond Bradley,Andrew J.Peach and Daqiang Li have made an ontological analysis of possibilities respectively.This paper would follow the approach of ontological analysis.The second chapter aims at establishing the feasibility of this approach,and criticizing the anti-ontological interpretations of the New Wittgensteinians,among whom there are Hidé Ishiguro,Brian Mcguinness,and Warren Goldfarb.Ishiguro and Mcguinness argued that since there had been a view of “use determines reference” in Tractatus,the notion of objects should not be treated as a part of ontology.However,they were confused with “logical use” with “linguistic use”.Goldfarb took those ontological paragraphs as thorough nonsense,and objected the so called “external stance”.However,since the composing of Tractatus took an external stance,i.e.metalinguistic stance,the only “internal stance” is keeping silence.The third chapter demonstrates the ontology of Tractatus,and highlights the notion of possible worlds,objects,and states of affairs,which are closely related to the notion of possibilities.After introducing the theoretical background of possible-world metaphysics,this chapter compares the thoughts of Wittgenstein with Leibniz and D.M.Armstrong,and points out that Tractatus plays the role of connecting link during the history of possible-world theories,especially Combinatorialism.As last,this chapter reduces the analysis of possible worlds to the the analysis of objects and states of affairs,and discusses the interpretations of Bradley,Peach,and María Cerezo.Showing the logical structure of world and language,the forth chapter establisha wholly new interpretation,on the basis of which I object to Bradley's notion of“possible objects” and Reinhardt's argument of “the Impossible Bottom Line”.Both of them ignored that there were two senses of “exist”--“exist in situations(worlds)”and “exist in logical presuppositions”.Finally,this chapter reveals four levels of possibilities: the variability of variables,the possibility of situations and facts,logical form,and logical space.All the four levels are actually logical possibilities.The conclusion points out: Monopolizing all the possibilities,LOGIC sets the conjunct limits of language and world;Thus,logic becomes the only necessity.Trying to break through logical necessity,the Later Wittgenstein turned to the analysis of ordinary language,rather than continuing the analysis of artificial language.