Byron's Babbles

I had the opportunity recently to read Ludwig Wittgenstein’s seminal work in philosophy, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. I love philosophy and this book did not disappoint. Yesterday, because of work I am doing in Southwest Utah for the Utah FFA, I had the opportunity to do some exploring in Zion National Park. I have to say that Zion National Park might just be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. And not to mention there is a 1.1 mile tunnel with galleries, or windows, cut into so we get glimpses of the unsurpassed beauty while driving through. I was there in the afternoon and as the shadows highlighted the beautiful formations, I had a realization of what Wittgenstein meant when he said, “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” In other words, whatever can be expressed in words constructs the boundaries of our knowable reality.

As I took pictures and was texting them to friends and family I thought to myself, “These pictures don’t even catch a fraction of the real beauty and scale. Wittgenstein argued that we can’t meaningfully discuss anything beyond language’s pictorial nature. Language can only portray hard facts and logical interconnections. It can’t capture subtle metaphysical truths, ethical imperatives, or subjective aesthetics. This philosophy seems sound to me. There are truly unsayable truths in the underlying existence that reveal the frontier between language and lived reality. As person who embraces all the advantages that augmented reality and the metaverse bring to us in education and all industries, I don’t want us to forget the power in actually being present. As Wittgenstein said, “What can be shown cannot be said.” It is certainly hard for me to put into words what I saw yesterday, but it can be shown and experienced.

Ludwig Wittgenstein believed that the limits of language prevented us from adequately describing a beautiful landscape. He argued that language is limited in its ability to capture and convey our subjective experiences and emotions accurately. Wittgenstein believed that there are aspects of beauty that are ineffable, or beyond the reach of language, and therefore cannot be fully articulated or described. According to him, language is not sufficient to capture the full richness and complexity of aesthetic experiences. Now, I know great writers that can transform us to a location with their words. This is a talent I am envious of, but still there are those things which words or even a picture cannot do justice.