Single Idea 6100

[catalogued under 7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 6. Fundamentals / d. Logical atoms]

Full Idea

When you have enumerated all the atomic facts in the world, it is a further fact about the world that those are all the atomic facts there are about the world.

Gist of Idea

Once you have enumerated all the atomic facts, there is a further fact that those are all the facts

Source

Bertrand Russell (The Philosophy of Logical Atomism [1918], §V)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'Russell's Logical Atomism', ed/tr. Pears,David [Fontana 1972], p.93


A Reaction

There is obviously a potential regress of facts about facts here. This looks like one of the reasons why the original logical atomism had a short shelf-life. Personally I see this as an argument in favour of rationalism, in the way Bonjour argues for it.