Another experiment with Wittgenstein's Tractatus
I spent some time hacking over the weekend, and here's the result: a minimalist interactive version of Wittgenstein's Tractatus.
The Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus is a text I've worked with already in the past. This seminal work of analytical philosophy, first published in 1921, presents Wittgenstein's thoughts on the relationship between language, logic, and reality through a series of numbered propositions.
This time I was intrigued by the simple yet remarkably effective typed.js JavaScript library, which simulates animated typing.
After testing it out a bit, I realized that this approach allows you to focus on the text with more attention than having it all displayed at once.
Since the words appear one at a time, it feels more like a verbal dialogue than traditional reading. As a consequence, the way the meaning of the text gets perceived also changes significantly.
The experience is slower, deeper - almost meditative. The typewriter effect forces you to engage with each proposition at its own pace, much like Wittgenstein himself might have intended when he constructed this carefully numbered philosophical system. The deliberate, mechanical revelation of each sentence creates a rhythm that enhances comprehension and reflection.
This format particularly suits the Tractatus, given its aphoristic structure and the density of its philosophical propositions. Each statement builds upon the previous ones, and the typing animation naturally enforces this sequential progression. Try it out here.
Credits
- the typed.js javascript library.
- the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Wittgenstein
Update January 6, 2022
The source code is available on GitHub: https://github.com/lambdamusic/wittgensteiniana