[Wittrs] Re: Russell or Wittgenstein?
- From: "jrstern" <jrstern@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:06:08 -0000
--- In Wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, brendan downs <wittrs@...> wrote:
>
> Is there a rhinoceros in the room? One of the earliest encounters between
> Bertrand Russell and the young Ludwig Wittgenstein involved a discussion
> about whether there was a rhinoceros in their room. Apparently, when
> Wittgenstein 'refused to admit that it was certain that there was not a
> rhinoceros in the room,' Russell half-jokingly looked underneath the desks to
> prove it. But to no avail. 'My German engineer, I think, is a fool,'
> concluded Russell. 'He thinks nothing empirical is knowable-I asked him to
> admit that there was not a rhinoceros in the room, but he wouldn't.'[1]
Perhaps the young Wittgenstein, still under the sway of Russell
(insofar as he ever was!), would say such a thing.
But I wonder if the later Wittgenstein might have been able to say more.
Josh
WEB VIEW: http://tinyurl.com/ku7ga4
TODAY: http://alturl.com/whcf
3 DAYS: http://alturl.com/d9vz
1 WEEK: http://alturl.com/yeza
GOOGLE: http://groups.google.com/group/Wittrs
YAHOO: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wittrs/
FREELIST: //www.freelists.org/archive/wittrs/09-2009
Other related posts:
