A brief introduction to a hertzian reading of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus

Abstract

The purpose of this short text is to present the hypothesis that there are remarkable influences of the thinking of the physicist Heinrich Hertz - especially his Principles of Mechanics (1894) – on Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1922). Indeed, it is widely recognized that some sort of influence of Hertz on Wittgenstein must exist; however, how and to what extent the relationship between the two thinkers was important is not unanimously resolved. We propose here three broad areas in which the thought of Wittgenstein in the Tractatus can be tributary of the mechanical system developed by Hertz (with all its additions and improvements): ontology, theory of figuration and philosophy of science. In this respect, it should be mentioned that Wittgenstein was always parsimonious in admitting to influences; though he referred to Hertz several times in his writings, he nowhere clarified the extent of Hertz’s influence on his thinking. Moreover, we consider the specialized literature on this topic neither clear nor convincing. Therefore, we aim at our own interpretation and routing of some points of what still seems to be wrapped cloaked mystery: the influence of Hertz on Wittgenstein’s Tractatus.