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Single Idea 21684

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

Full Idea

Perhaps one atomic fact may sometimes be capable of being inferred from another, though I do not believe this to be the case; but in any case it cannot be inferred from premises no one of which is an atomic fact.

Gist of Idea

Atomic facts may be inferrable from others, but never from non-atomic facts

Source

Bertrand Russell (Our Knowledge of the External World [1914], p.48)

Book Ref

Russell,Bertrand: 'Our Knowledge of the External World' [Routledge 1993], p.48


A Reaction

I prefer Russell's caution to Wittgenstein's dogmatism. I presume utterly simple facts give you nothing to work with. Hegel thought that you could infer new concepts from given concepts.

Related Idea

Idea 21683 Nothing can be inferred from an elementary proposition [Wittgenstein]