http://lazaria91.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] lazaria91.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] criminalxminds2011-01-28 01:35 am

Trac Tadis? Trak Tadis? Tractadis? Tractades?

So in Corazon, Reid and Morgan go to talk to Professor Walker at his office. Reid goes over to the bookshelf and says, "I've never seen a first edition trac tadis before." What is a trac tadis? Because I know I'm not spelling it right to find it in Google. 

[identity profile] oldwickedsongs.livejournal.com 2011-01-28 06:46 am (UTC)(link)
Shot in the dark but he could have been referring to Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus it's a work by Ludwig Wittgenstein who is a contemporary philosopher.

Wittgenstein's work wasn't particularly religious if I remember my philosophy classes correctly but he was on staff at some famous Ivy league school and is considered very influential.

Hope it helps

[identity profile] zamboni12.livejournal.com 2011-01-28 08:02 am (UTC)(link)
It´s a word coming from latin "tractatus" and it is a literary form means essay, treatise or debate and discussion (in written form)on some subject. Often used for religious, political, cultural, moral/ethical or (natural)scientific subjects.
A "tractatus" is generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject. (I´m a non-native speaker so I hope my explanation makes sense ;-) )

Hope it helps :-)

[identity profile] thudonkey.livejournal.com 2011-01-29 07:20 am (UTC)(link)
While both of the above comments are accurate -- and Zamboni's is the general answer -- Wittgenstein's work is the most widely referred to as "the Tractatus" amongst academics in not just philosophy but a variety of different disciplines. When I heard Reid's comment it struck me as odd becuase, as the first author notes, the Tractatus isn't specifically about religion. Nevertheless I was confident that it was Wittgenstein's book that Reid was looking at.

It gave me a happy academic-geek feeling.