--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had been reading Wittgenstein. There…" description: "\"“I had been reading Wittgenstein. There are no philosophical problems, only linguistic misunderstandings. Was this so? If so, why write at such length ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/joyce-carol-oates-344_philosophical_i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-ar_1982187.png" --- # I had been reading Wittgenstein. There are no… ![“I had been reading Wittgenstein. There are no philosophical problems, only linguistic misunderstandings. Was this so? If so, why write at such length about it? I could understand [his] attraction to such a philosophy. Spartan, rigorous. Surpassingly skeptical. Well, good: philosophers should be…” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/joyce-carol-oates-344_philosophical_i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-ar_1982187.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/joyce-carol-oates-344_philosophical_i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-ar_1982187.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/joyce-carol-oates-344_philosophical_i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-ar_1982187.png) > ““I had been reading Wittgenstein. There are no philosophical problems, only linguistic misunderstandings. Was this so? If so, why write at such length about it? I could understand \[his\] attraction to such a philosophy. Spartan, rigorous. Surpassingly skeptical. Well, good: philosophers should be skeptical. (No one else is: the mass of mankind is credulous as a gigantic infant, willing to suck any teat.)”” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that philosophical disputes often stem from language confusion rather than real problems, urging brevity and skepticism. **In simple terms:** Philosophical debates are often language misunderstandings. Key Takeaway Question language clarity, be skeptical. Themes skepticism language philosophy Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic debate - writing - teaching - public discourse Key Concepts linguistic analysis critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape our problems? - When is detailed argument necessary? A Different Perspective Overly brief critiques may miss nuanced issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophers Skeptical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers-skeptical-2066098/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Reading Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-wittgenstein-3389691/) [Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wittgenstein/) [Wittgenstein Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wittgenstein-philosophical-3389692/) ## Related quotes > [I think one reason is that philosophers are more insecure to speak accessibly because non-philosophers are skeptical that philosophers have any special expertise. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-goldstein/i-think-one-reason-is-that-philosophers-are-more-insecure-to-speak/) [Rebecca Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-goldstein/) > [“In the eighteenth century, philosophers considered the whole of human knowledge, including science, to be their field and discussed questions such as: Did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/in-the-eighteenth-century-philosophers-considered-the-whole-of-human/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“Wittgenstein's language has the singularly rare quality of being both colloquial and painstakingly precise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-monk/wittgenstein-s-language-has-the-singularly-rare-quality-of-being-both/) [Ray Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-monk/) > [“As a consequence of Wittgenstein’s philosophy, the questions once asked by philosophy have now passed into the realms of poetry. The way poetry is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-strathern/as-a-consequence-of-wittgenstein-s-philosophy-the-questions-once/) [Paul Strathern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-strathern/) > [“The meaning of the world, said Wittgenstein, is outside the world. Events and values are distinguishable only in relation to others. A totality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-davenport/the-meaning-of-the-world-said-wittgenstein-is-outside-the-world/) [Guy Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-davenport/) > [“He who lives not in time, but in the present, is happy. —LUDWIG VON WITTGENSTEIN”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ury/he-who-lives-not-in-time-but-in-the-present-is-happy-ludwig-von/) [William Ury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ury/) > [There are only two things in the world: nothing and semantics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-erhard/there-are-only-two-things-in-the-world-nothing-and-semantics/) [Werner Erhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-erhard/) > [The thing I think I have learned from Wittgenstein is the importance of not making things up: philosophers should not invent problems, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/the-thing-i-think-i-have-learned-from-wittgenstein-is-the-importance/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [“Bonnie Jean (who thinks all philosophers are idiots) has this quarrel with Wittgenstein, who in several places says that reddish green is inconceivable. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-davenport/bonnie-jean-who-thinks-all-philosophers-are-idiots-has-this-quarrel/) [Guy Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-davenport/) > [There is something myopic and stunted in focussing only on the meaning of words and sentences. And this myopia is especially unfortunate when combined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-cooper/there-is-something-myopic-and-stunted-in-focussing-only-on-the/) [David E. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-cooper/) > [“A man will be imprisoned in a room with a door that's unlocked and opens inwards; as long as it does not occur to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-council/a-man-will-be-imprisoned-in-a-room-with-a-door-that-s-unlocked-and/) [Aaron Council](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-council/) > [“Very possibly this was what was in Wittgenstein's own mind all of those years later, in face, when he said that you do no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-markson/very-possibly-this-was-what-was-in-wittgenstein-s-own-mind-all-of/) [David Markson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-markson/) > [“Put a man on the brink of the abyss and--in the unlikely event that he doesn't fall into it--he will become either a mystic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christos-h-papadimitriou-apostolos-doxiadis/put-a-man-on-the-brink-of-the-abyss-and-in-the-unlikely-event-that-he/) [Christos H. Papadimitriou Apostolos Doxiadis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christos-h-papadimitriou-apostolos-doxiadis/) > [“Said in reference to Ludwig Wittgenstein: "Talent is like the marksman who hits a target which others cannot reach; genius is like the marksman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/said-in-reference-to-ludwig-wittgenstein-talent-is-like-the-marksman/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“If by eternity is understood not endless temporal duration but timelessness, then he lives eternally who lives in the present." L. Wittgenstein, Philosopher”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-m-carmichael/if-by-eternity-is-understood-not-endless-temporal-duration-but/) [Chris M. Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-m-carmichael/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Philosophical quotes > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [“Designing posters, for me, is not only a commercial pursuit but also a philosophical endeavor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fang-chen/designing-posters-for-me-is-not-only-a-commercial-pursuit-but-also-a/) [Fang Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fang-chen/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [I think it's in our nature to try to get beyond that next horizon. I think that when we as a species are scratching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/i-think-it-s-in-our-nature-to-try-to-get-beyond-that-next-horizon-i/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [As our domestic fowls are said to have their original in the wild pheasant of India, so our domestic thoughts have their prototypes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-our-domestic-fowls-are-said-to-have-their-original-in-the-wild/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Fiecare dintre noi a inteles, probabil, atunci ca nu exista "mai tarziu". Ca tot ce nu traim ramane netrait. Eu, oricum, aveam gust de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavian-paler/fiecare-dintre-noi-a-inteles-probabil-atunci-ca-nu-exista-mai-tarziu/) [Octavian Paler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavian-paler/) > [Reason is universal because no attempted challenge to its results can avoid appealing to reason in the end-by claiming, for example, that what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/reason-is-universal-because-no-attempted-challenge-to-its-results-can/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [“No es que escribir me produzca un gran placer, pero es mucho peor si no lo hago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/no-es-que-escribir-me-produzca-un-gran-placer-pero-es-mucho-peor-si/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“Only you are yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-trott/only-you-are-yours/) [Susan Trott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-trott/) > [“Dreams are doorways into other dimensions that you forget how to open once you’re awake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-m-arcejaeger/dreams-are-doorways-into-other-dimensions-that-you-forget-how-to-open/) [R.M. ArceJaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-m-arcejaeger/) > [“One of the protestor's sign catches my eye. HOMISEXUALITY IS THE DEVIL'S WORK, it says. And once again I think about how people use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/one-of-the-protestor-s-sign-catches-my-eye-homisexuality-is-the-devil/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Poerty is composition to which the soul bleeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adkruk/poerty-is-composition-to-which-the-soul-bleeds/) [ADKruk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adkruk/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not a failure if a marriage or partnership ends after a certain number of years. I think, in general, we expect too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/it-s-not-a-failure-if-a-marriage-or-partnership-ends-after-a-certain/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [“The truth about life is complicated, indefensible and embarrassing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-weinle/the-truth-about-life-is-complicated-indefensible-and-embarrassing/) [Alex Weinle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-weinle/) [Browse all 2,023 Philosophical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I had been reading Wittgenstein. There are no philosophical problems, only linguistic misunderstandings. Was this so? If so, why write at such length about it? I could understand [his] attraction to such a philosophy. Spartan, rigorous. Surpassingly skeptical. Well, good: philosophers should be skeptical. (No one else is: the mass of mankind is credulous as a gigantic infant, willing to suck any teat.)”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joyce Carol Oates" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-are-no-philosophical-problems/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Philosophical" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-are-no-philosophical-problems/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/joyce-carol-oates-344_philosophical_i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-ar_1982187.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/joyce-carol-oates-344_philosophical_i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-ar_1982187.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/joyce-carol-oates-344_philosophical_i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-ar_1982187.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had been reading Wittgenstein. There are no philosophical problems, only linguistic misunderstandings. Was…” — Joyce Carol Oates", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joyce Carol Oates", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I had been reading Wittgenstein. There...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-are-no-philosophical-problems/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-had-been-reading-wittgenstein-there-are-no-philosophical-problems/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```