Functionalism and Self-Understanding

In this concluding chapter, I articulate what I take to be the relation between the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921) and the house Wittgenstein designed for his sister (the Kundmanngasse). In order to get there, I argue that, despite relevant differences in their perspectives on culture, Loos and Wittgenstein shared a conception of architecture. I characterize this conception as a qualified form of functionalism, marked by an emphasis on self-reflection. Based on that characterization, I conclude that both the Kundmanngasse and the Tractatus result from Wittgenstein’s efforts to resist temptations that lead one to impose oneself on others. In resisting them, Wittgenstein was not only striving for self-understanding and self-improvement, but also acknowledging his—and our—humanity. By way of conclusion, I sketch an account of the evolution of Wittgenstein’s thought, centered on this Cavellian theme.