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Roughly speaking: to say of two things that they are…

“Roughly speaking: to say of two things that they are identical is nonsense, and to say of one thing that it is identical with itself is to say nothing.” quote by Ludwig Wittgenstein
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““Roughly speaking: to say of two things that they are identical is nonsense, and to say of one thing that it is identical with itself is to say nothing.””

Ludwig Wittgenstein

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Stating two things are identical is meaningless; stating a thing is identical with itself says nothing.

In simple terms: Identical statements are trivial or meaningless.

Key Takeaway

Avoid redundant or empty assertions.

Themes

logic identity language philosophy

Mood

critical inquisitive

Type

philosophical academic

When to use this quote

  • mathematics
  • argumentation
  • critical thinking

Key Concepts

analytic semantic

Questions to Reflect On

  • When is stating identity useful?
  • How does language shape logical precision?
A Different Perspective

Some contexts require explicit identity for clarity.

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