logical atomism

American  

noun

1. a philosophy developed from linguistic analysis asserting that a proposition can be analyzed into simple, independent elements of meaning corresponding to elements making up basic facts about the world and reality.

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logical atomism British  

noun

1. the philosophical theory of Bertrand Russell and the early Wittgenstein which held that all meaningful expressions must be analysable into atomic elements which refer directly to atomic elements of the real world

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Example Sentences

The third type, which may be called “logical atomism” for want of a better name, has gradually crept into philosophy through the critical scrutiny of mathematics.

From Project Gutenberg

Did this mean that the wonderful dream of logical atomism--a science of meanings--was hopeless?

From Time Magazine Archive

But logical atomism was implicit even in this theory.

From Project Gutenberg

The philosophy which I wish to advocate may be called logical atomism or absolute pluralism, because, while maintaining that there are many things, it denies that there is a whole composed of those things.

From Project Gutenberg