Editing Analytic philosophy (section)

=== Early Wittgenstein ===
[[File:Ludwig Wittgenstein 1929.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Ludwig Wittgenstein]]
[[Ludwig Wittgenstein]] developed a comprehensive system of logical atomism with a [[picture theory of meaning]] in his ''[[Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus]]'' ({{langx|de|Logisch-Philosophische Abhandlung}}, 1921) sometimes known as simply the ''Tractatus''. He claimed the universe is the totality of actual states of affairs and that these states of affairs can be expressed and mirrored by the language of first-order predicate logic. Thus, a <em>picture</em> of the universe can be constructed by expressing facts in the form of atomic propositions and linking them using [[logical operator]]s. The ''Tractatus'' introduced philosophers to the [[truth table]] method.

Wittgenstein thought he had solved all the problems of philosophy with the ''Tractatus''. The work further ultimately concludes that all of its propositions are meaningless, illustrated with a [[Wittgenstein's ladder|ladder]] one must toss away after climbing up it.