On Certainty

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was born in Vienna on April 26, 1889. In 1903, he was sent to a secondary school in Linz, graduating in 1906. After secondary school, Wittgenstein attended a technical college in Berlin, graduating in 1908. After graduation, he transferred to the University of Manchester, specializing in aerodynamics.

During the summer of 1911, Wittgenstein visited Frege in Jena, who suggested he study with Russell at Cambridge. So, that autumn, he arrived in Cambridge and quickly earned Russell's high regard. From autumn 1913 to spring 1914, he wrote several important philosophical notes.

In August 1914, Wittgenstein enlisted in the army and participated in World War I. During the war, he wrote 4-7 notebooks. After World War I, Wittgenstein taught at a primary school in rural Austria for several years. In 1929, he returned to Cambridge and earned his doctorate with his dissertation, "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus." From then on, he wrote several philosophical notebooks.

In 1939, he was accepted as a Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge University. In the autumn of 1947, Wittgenstein resigned from his professorship to focus on philosophical writing. On April 29, 1951, Wittgenstein passed away. His dying words were: "Tell them I've had a wonderful life!"