Ideas from 'Zettel' by Ludwig Wittgenstein [1950], by Theme Structure

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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy

2626	A philosopher is outside any community of ideas

			Full Idea: The philosopher is not a citizen of any community of ideas; that is what makes him a philosopher.
			From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Zettel [1950], 455)
			A reaction: A bit surprising from the man who gave us 'language games' and 'private language argument'.

5. Theory of Logic / L. Paradox / 6. Paradoxes in Language / a. The Liar paradox

6569	'This sentence is false' sends us in a looping search for its proposition

			Full Idea: According to Wittgenstein, 'this sentence is false' sends us off on an endless, looping search for the proposition to be evaluated.
			From: report of Ludwig Wittgenstein (Zettel [1950], §691) by Robert Fogelin - Walking the Tightrope of Reason Ch.2
			A reaction: Fogelin quotes this as one possible strategy for dealing with the Liar Paradox. It doesn't sound like much of a solution to the paradox, merely an account of why it is so annoying. Wittgenstein's challenge is that the Cretan can't state his problem.

13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 2. Causal Justification

3790	Causes of beliefs are irrelevant to their contents

			Full Idea: The causes of our belief in a proposition are indeed irrelevant to the question of what we believe.
			From: Ludwig Wittgenstein (Zettel [1950], i.437)
			A reaction: This should have nipped the causal theory of knowledge in the bud before it got started. Everyone has a different cause for their belief that 'it sometimes rains'. Cause is not justification.