[lit-ideas] Re: Ownership and the possessive case
- From: cblists@xxxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 13:08:05 +0200
On 7-May-09, at 1:13 AM, Donal McEvoy wrote:
Popper was not so much personally insulting Wittgenstein as trying
to provoke on what he took to be a key difference between them as to
whether there are genuine philosophical problems to be solved or
simply philosophical confusions to be 'dissolved' by examination of
how the intellect has become bewitched by language. (That
Wittgenstein may have taken this as a personal insult of some kind
is of course possible. It may also be that Wittgenstein had a
disdainful view of Popper's intellect and found the whole fiasco
tested his patience beyond endurance).
You offer 2 possible explanations for Wittgenstein's behaviour:
1) Wittgenstein took Popper's provocative remark as a personal insult
of some kind.
2) Wittgenstein had a disdainful view of Popper's intellect and found
the whole fiasco tested his patience beyond endurance.
In some accounts of the 'poker incident', the word 'disgust' is used
(e.g., "so finally, in disgust, Wittgenstein flung the poker into the
fireplace and stormed out of the room"; " whereupon LW threw the poker
down in disgust and left"). Based on some little knowledge of
Wittgenstein's character (at least as presented in reminiscences about
him and by his biographers) I offer a third explanation for
Wittgenstein's behaviour:
3) Wittgenstein was disgusted *with himself* (perhaps because of what
he perceived to be his inability to adequately counter Popper; perhaps
because of what he perceived to be an inappropriate intense emotional
response to Popper's challenge; perhaps because he was envious of
Popper's ease and was disgusted with what he perceived to be a sign of
weakness; etc.).
From Russell's autobiography (somewhere in chapter 9):
"[Wittgenstein] was perhaps the most perfect example I known of genius
as traditionally conceived, passionate, profound, intense, and
dominating. ...
He used to come to see me every evening at midnight, and pace up and
down the room like a wild beast for three hours in agitated silence.
Once I said to him: 'Are you thinking about logic, or about your
sins?' 'Both', he replied, and continued his pacing. I did not like to
suggest it was time for bed, for it seemed probable both to him and to
me that on leaving me he would commit suicide."
Chris Bruce,
Kiel, Germany
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