The Satz-Challenge: A Note on Michael Beaney’s Translation of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus

Open Review until 2025-09-24

Authors

  • Martin Stokhof Department of Philosophy, Tsinghua University, Beijing and ILLC/Department of Philosophy, Universiteit van Amsterdam
  • Jaap van der Does Department of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Radboud University, Nijmegen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/nwr.v14.3704

Keywords:

Wittgenstein, Tractatus logico-philosophicus, Beaney, Satz, proposition, meaning, picture, translation

Abstract

This short note discusses a particular aspect of Michael Beaney’s translation of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus, viz., the translation of the German term “Satz”, and argues that Beaney’s choice to uniformly translate “Satz” as “proposition” obscures key elements of the Tractarian concept of meaning.

References

Van der Does, J., 2011. Passed over in Silence. On Wittgenstein’s Tractatus and its System. London: College Publications.

Van der Does, J. and Stokhof, M., 2020. “Tractatus, application and use”. Open Philosophy, Vol. 3, pp. 770–797.

Gadamer, H.-G., 1989. Truth and Method. Translated by Joel Weinsheimer, second revised edition. London/New York: Continuum [Original: Wahrheit und Methode, Tübingen: Mohr, 1960].

Stern, D., to appear. “On translating the Tractatus consistently”.

Stokhof, M., 2002. World and Life as One. Ethics and Ontology in Wittgenstein’s Early Thought. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Stokhof, M., and van der Does, J., 2023. “De Tractatus lezen. En waarderen”. Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, Vol. 115, no. 2, pp. 139–152.

(English translation: “Reading the Tractatus. And appreciating it”. Available on: https://stokhoforg.files.wordpress.com/2023/04/stokhof-vanderdoes_rtai.pdf)

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Wittgenstein, L., 1922 (C.K. Ogden & F. Ramsey, translators), Tractatus logico-philosophicus, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Wittgenstein, L., 1961, revised 1974 (D. Pears & B.F. McGuinness, translators), Tractatus logico-philosophicus, London: Routledge.

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Richter, D., 2021, (D. Richter commentator and translator), Wittgenstein's Tractatus: A Student’s Edition. Lamham, MD: Lexington Books.

Wittgenstein, L., 2022, (V. Gijsbers, translator) Tractatus. Logisch-filosofische verhandeling, Amsterdam: Boom.

Wittgenstein, L., 2022, (P. Huijzer & J. Sietsma, translators), Tractatus logico-philosophicus, Amsterdam: Octavo.

Wittgenstein, L., 2023, (M. Beaney, translator), Tractatus logico-philosophicus, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Wittgenstein, L., 2024, (D. Searls translator), Tractatus logico-philosophicus, New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Wittgenstein, L., to appear, (J. Schulte, K. Saparoti, D. Stern translators), Tractatus logico-philosophicus, publisher unknown.

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Published

2025-08-25

How to Cite

Stokhof, M., & van der Does, J. (2025). The Satz-Challenge: A Note on Michael Beaney’s Translation of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus: Open Review until 2025-09-24. Nordic Wittgenstein Review, 14. https://doi.org/10.15845/nwr.v14.3704

Issue

Volume 14 (2025)

Section

Discussions and Replies

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Copyright (c) 2025 Martin Stokhof, Jaap van der Does

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