A philosophical genius who spent his entire life declaring war on himself—a complex, passionate soul living with unflinching sincerity. He gave the world a ladder of thought, and he practiced climbing out of life's complex abyss.

★ On the first day of pre-sale, the new book received over 5,000 pre-orders.
★ With a clear chronological framework, this book comprehensively traces the tumultuous and legendary life of Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the greatest philosophical geniuses of the 20th century.
★ Across eight chapters, it retraces Wittgenstein's complex life and philosophical career. Thirty-two pages of illustrations mirror and restore the details of his life, presenting his dual existence of "using philosophy to confront the world, and using silence to confront himself."
★ It fully presents the legendary life of the man Bertrand Russell called "the most perfect example of genius," delicately portraying his passionate state of being, profound idealism, and relentless philosophical pursuit.
★ Combining readability with intellectual depth, this book offers readers a multidimensional perspective on this master thinker. It is not just a biography—it breaks down the barriers between philosophy and life.

A philosophical biography written for general readers, this book comprehensively traces the tumultuous life of Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century.

Wittgenstein was born into one of Vienna's most prominent families; his father was a European steel industry magnate. Yet throughout his life, he lived with extreme frugality—possessions, power, and status held no attraction for him. As a youth, he was passionate about mechanics and technology, building a simple yet practical sewing machine at the age of ten. While studying aeronautical engineering in Manchester, he turned to mathematics out of practical necessity for his design work, and it was through reading Russell's Principles of Mathematics that he pivoted toward philosophy. In 1911, he went to Cambridge to study under Russell, who described their meeting as "one of the most exciting intellectual adventures of my life."
When the First World War broke out, Wittgenstein—though exempt from military service—enlisted as a volunteer. It was on the battlefield that he completed his major philosophical work, the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. After the war, believing that philosophical problems had been solved, he moved with idealistic fervor to the mountainous region of southern Austria, where he became an elementary school teacher, living an ascetic life. He later returned to Cambridge, earning his doctorate on the basis of the Tractatus, and went on to develop a later philosophical system radically different from his earlier thought. His Philosophical Investigations, published posthumously, is widely regarded as having guided a new direction in the philosophy of language.