Abstract

Psychiatrists such as Michael Fitzgerald, Christopher Gillberg, and Yoshiki Ishisaka have presented the posthumous diagnosis that philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein had Asperger’s Syndrome. In this essay, I question this diagnosis by presenting evidence that Wittgenstein’s autism condition was significantly more severe than that. Taking into account this prospect, as well as the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, I raise the possibility to be discussed by experts in Autism Spectrum Disorder that Wittgenstein had below-average intelligence or even intellectual disability, which is a common co-occurring condition associated with moderate to severe autism. Among other cognitive and behavioral characteristics that corroborate this hypothesis, I consider the fact that Wittgenstein only began to speak at the age of four, he had poor school performance, he was frequently aggressive, and he presented lifelong reading and writing difficulties.