Self-Understanding in the Tractatus and Wittgensteins Architecture

Between 1926 and 1928, the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein designed a house for his sister in Vienna (the Kundmanngasse). This book aims to clarify the relation between that house and Wittgensteins early philosophy. The starting point of its main argument is a remark from Diktat fr Schlick (c. 1932-33) in which Wittgenstein proposes an analogy between ornaments and nonsensical sentences. The attempt to extract from it an account of the relation between the Kundmanngasse and the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921) leads to the writings of Adolf Loos (whose influence Wittgenstein recognized). The discussion of Looss writings suggests that the analogy should be understood, not as one between actual ornaments and nonsensical sentences, but as one between Looss and Wittgensteins uses of these notions. So understood, it favors the (so-called) resolute reading of the Tractatus and reveals that both Wittgensteins use of nonsense and Looss use of ornaments are means to the end of promoting selfunderstanding. The book concludes that both the Kundmanngasse and the Tractatus are results of Wittgensteins efforts at this kind of selfunderstanding. These can be construed as ways of acknowledging our humanity, which in turn can be seen as a unifying element of Wittgensteins philosophy.