Widely regarded as one of the most influential philosophical works of the twentieth century, Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus is a succinct yet wide-ranging exploration of language and logic; of science and mysticism; of what can be said, and what can only be shown. Its austere beauty – along with its famous ‘picture theory’ of meaning – has inspired generations of thinkers, artists, novelists and musicians. In a series of short, bold statements, Wittgenstein seeks to define the limits of meaningful expression. Originally published in the early 1920s, it is the only book-length work the renowned philosopher published in his lifetime.

In this thrilling new translation, accompanied by a lively introduction by Jan Zwicky, Alexander Booth displays an extraordinary sensitivity to the subtle influence on Wittgenstein’s gem-like prose – at once specialist and, often, remarkably plain-spoken – of his background in mechanical engineering, while at the same time highlighting the underlying poetry of this seminal text.