I have called my paper "Wittgenstein and the Twentieth Century". It is not my intention, however, to discuss how Wittgenstein has impressed and changed thinking in our century; nor shall I discuss the influences and impulses which he may have received from other philosophers. What I wanted to do is something which is more hazardous and indefinite — and in the opinion of many perhaps not very important either. I wanted to relate Wittgenstein to a prevailing climate of opinion or cultural situation, to something which may also be called the "moods' or Stimmung of a time. I have made an effort in this direction once before.¹ Here I wanted to follow it up with thoughts on how Wittgenstein's rejection of the civilization of contemporary Western society reflects a basic attitude of his to life and on how this attitude carries both his earlier and his later work in philosophy.