Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Empedocles, David O. Brink and Ludwig Wittgenstein

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6 ideas

5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 1. Overview of Logic

23502	Logic fills the world, to its limits [Wittgenstein]
	Full Idea: Logic pervades the world: the limits of the world are also its limits.
	From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus [1921], 5.61)
	A reaction: This is a gospel belief for hardcore analytic philosophy. Hence Williamson writes a book on modal logic as metaphysics.

18724	In logic nothing is hidden [Wittgenstein]
	Full Idea: In logic nothing is hidden.
	From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Lectures 1930-32 (student notes) [1931], B XII.3)
	A reaction: If so, then the essence of logic must be there for all to see. The rules of natural deduction are a good shot at showing this.

16908	We can dispense with self-evidence, if language itself prevents logical mistakes [Jeshion on Wittgenstein]
	Full Idea: The 'self-evidence' of which Russell talks so much can only be dispensed with in logic if language itself prevents any logical mistake.
	From: comment on Ludwig Wittgenstein (Notebooks 1914-1916 [1915], 4) by Robin Jeshion - Frege's Notion of Self-Evidence 4
	A reaction: Jeshion presents this as a key idea, turning against Frege, and is the real source of the 'linguistic turn' in philosophy. If self-evidence is abandoned, then language itself is the guide to truth, so study language. I think I prefer Frege. See Quine?

23504	Logic concerns everything that is subject to law; the rest is accident [Wittgenstein]
	Full Idea: The exploration of logic means the exploration of everything that is subject to law. And outside logic everything is accidental.
	From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus [1921], 6.3)
	A reaction: Why should laws be logical? Legislatures can pass whimsical laws. Does he mean that the laws of nature are logically necessary? He can't just mean logical laws.

5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 3. Value of Logic

6428	Wittgenstein is right that logic is just tautologies [Wittgenstein, by Russell]
	Full Idea: I think Wittgenstein is right when he says (in the 'Tractatus') that logic consists wholly of tautologies.
	From: report of Ludwig Wittgenstein (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus [1921]) by Bertrand Russell - My Philosophical Development Ch.10
	A reaction: Despite Russell's support, I find this hard to accept. While a 'pure' or 'Platonist' logic may be hard to demonstrate or believe, I have a strong gut feeling that logic is more of a natural phenomenon than a human convention.

5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 4. Pure Logic

11062	Logic is a priori because it is impossible to think illogically [Wittgenstein]
	Full Idea: What makes logic a priori is the impossibility of illogical thought.
	From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus [1921], 5.4731)
	A reaction: That places the a priori aspect of it in us (in the epistemology), rather than in the necessity of the logic (the ontology), which is as Kripke says it should be.