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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'. |
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. |
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. |