A philosophy webcomic about the inevitable anguish of living a brief life in an absurd world. Also Jokes

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Wittgenstein Teaches Elementary School

Wittgenstein, pointing to a blue square: "Okay class, it's time to learn our colors. This right here is blue."

Wittgenstein, pointing to other colors: "This is red, this is green, this is yellow."

Wittgenstein, pointing to several objects of different colors: "Okay, now that we've gone over our basic colors, can anyone tell me which of these objects the word “yellow” refers to?"

Wittgenstein: "Yes...?"
Child, raising his hand: "The truck!"

Wittgenstein, hitting the child's hand with a ruler: "WRONG! It doesn't refer to any of them, because referring is impossible, the word 'yellow' is only a move in a sort of language game."
Child: "Owww!"

Wittgenstein: "It is equally possible 'yellow' is used for the square shape, or the act of pointing. Only experience in a community of speakers can, over time, clarify the usage of a word."
Child: "It hurts!"

Wittgenstein, miming crying: "Ohhh, what's the matter, does it hurt? Are you going to cry to show me that you are in pain?"

Wittgenstein: "Well guess what, i have no way of inferring your internal state by your outward behavior, for all i know you could be feeling great. So suck it up, you little shit."

Wittgenstein: "okay, the colors lesson is complete, it's time to learn predicate logic. And i'll have you all know, there is no crying in predicate logic."
"Now, does anyone here have a theory of metaphysics? Because I would love to see if I could produce more behavior that is socially recognized to indicate pain."

Ludwig Wittgenstein, after finishing Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, went to teach elementary school for six years in rural Austria. Perhaps he thought he could put his philosophy into practice in a sense, and teach children in a new a creative way. However he quickly became disillusioned and wrote to Bertrand Russell:

I know human beings on the average are not worth much anywhere, but here they are much more good-for-nothing and irresponsible than elsewhere.

Apparently he was very demanding, and tried to teach the children math and logic that was quite advanced, and when students got the answer wrong he would administer corporal punishment (not uncommon to the time). Sometimes this went very far, however, and he even knocked an 11 year old boy unconscious, and went to trial.

Wittgenstein was, shall we say, a rather intense individual.

Ludwig Wittgenstein, after finishing Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, went to teach elementary school for six years in rural Austria. Perhaps he thought he could put his philosophy into practice in a sense, and teach children in a new a creative way. However he quickly became disillusioned and wrote to Bertrand Russell:

I know human beings on the average are not worth much anywhere, but here they are much more good-for-nothing and irresponsible than elsewhere.

Apparently he was very demanding, and tried to teach the children math and logic that was quite advanced, and when students got the answer wrong he would administer corporal punishment (not uncommon to the time). Sometimes this went very far, however, and he even knocked an 11 year old boy unconscious, and went to trial.

Wittgenstein was, shall we say, a rather intense individual.

Philosophers in this comic: Ludwig Wittgenstein
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