Page:Wittgenstein - Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 1922.djvu/131

Rh but the most general form of their combinations.

The apparently unimportant fact that the apparent relations like $$\or$$ and $$\supset$$ need brackets—unlike real relations—is of great importance.

The use of brackets with these apparent primitive signs shows that these are not the real primitive signs; and nobody of course would believe that the brackets have meaning by themselves.

Logical operation signs are punctuations.

It is clear that everything which can be said beforehand about the form of all propositions at all can be said on one occasion.

For all logical operations are already contained in the elementary proposition. For "$$fa$$" says the same as "$$~(\exists x).fx.x=a$$". Where there is composition, there is argument and function, and where these are, all logical constants already are.

One could say: the one logical constant is that which all propositions, according to their nature, have in common with one another.

That however is the general form of proposition.

The general form of proposition is the essence of proposition.

To give the essence of proposition means to give the essence of all description, therefore the essence of the world.

The description of the most general propositional form is the description of the one and only general primitive sign in logic.

Logic must take care of itself.

A possible sign must also be able to signify. Everything which is possible in logic is also permitted. ("Socrates is identical " means nothing Rh