Wittgenstein's Poker: The Story of a Ten-Minute Argument Between Two Great Philosophers

360 Pages·2002·29.229 MB·English

by  David Edmonds, John Eidinow

MARINCOUNTY,FREELIBRARY
3 111 02179 0207
1
PO
^
The Story of
a Ten-Minute Argument
Between Two GreatPhilosophers
DAVID EDMONDS & JOHN EIDINOW
USA $24.00
"If we wish our civilization to survive we
must break with the habit of deference to
greatmen." -KarlPopper
"Bad philosophers are like slum landlords.
It'smyjobtoputthemoutofbusiness."
—LudwigWittgenstein
On October 25, 1946. in a crowded room in
Cambridge. England. Ludwig Wittgenstein and
Karl Popper came face-to-face for the first and
onlytime.Theencounterlastedjusttenminutes,
anddidnotgowell.
Their loud and aggressive confrontation
became the stuff of instant legend. Almost
immediately rumors spread around the world
that the two great philosophers had come to
blows,armedwithred-hotpokers.
Twenty years later, when Popper wrote an
account ofthe incident, he portrayed himselfas
the victor, provoking intense disagreement.
Everyone present seems to have remembered
eventsdifferently.
What really happened in those ten minutes?
And what does the violence of this brief
exchange tell us about th* «». two men. modern
philosophy, and the sigjiihcii.oce of language in
solvingourphilosophic=i^nrr.h:;-r »
(tUHIlllllJCUUH D-
Civic Center New Books
il/ol
193 Edmonds
Edmonds^ David, 1964-
Wittgenstein's poker th<
:
story of a ten-minute
argument between two greai
Dhilosoohers
DATE DUE
7m
DEC •?
1
JAN 2 200? JUI t 6 2003
JAN 2 8 20C2
MAr 2- 8 2004
(I 4 U'T
ii
^-^S^f
^.^-/^
fjnv 1 '^ "ifini
MAR k 7MI
KUV c y iUUi
APR 4 200Z
MAY 3 2002
zm
«'"
>> y ^
"^m
1 9
JUL 2 3 2002
UtI 10 2002
6cr 3/ ZooZ^
DEC 2 3 2002
Frp
n ? 9pp.
MAY n 5 "(^0^
. D.EMCO,INC. 38-2931

WITTGENSTEIN'S POKER
LudwigWittgenstein
KarlPopper
WITTGENSTEIN'S
POKER
The Story of a Ten-Minute Argument
Between Two Great Philosophers
David Edmonds and John Eidinow
An/mpr/nfofHarperCollinsPublishers
Published in GreatBritain as WittgensteinsPoker: TheStoryof
a Ten-Minute Argument Between Two Great Philosophers by
Faber and Faber.
Wittgenstein's poker. Copyright © 2001 by David Ed-
monds and John Eidinow. All rights reserved. Printed in the
United States ofAmerica. No partofthis book maybe used or
reproduced in anymannerwhatsoeverwithoutwritten permis-
sion except in the case ofbriefquotations embodied in critical
articles and reviews. For information address HarperCollins
Publishers Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, NewYork, NY10022.
HarperCollins books may be purchased for educational, busi-
ness, or sales promotional use. For information please write:
Special Markets Department, HarperCollins Publishers Inc.,
10 East 53rd Street, NewYork, NY10022.
Theletters intheAppendixare reproducedbykindpermission
of the Times Literary Supplement and oftheir signatories ex-
ceptinthecaseofthosewrittenbythelateJohnWatkinswhere
permission is kindlygiven by his wife, Mrs. MickyWatkins.
FIRST EDITION
Designed by Cassandra Pappas
. /.
Librar}' ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
has been applied for.
ISBN 0-06-621244-8
01 02 03 04 05 BVG/RRD 10 987654321
To Hannah andHerbertEdmonds
andto Elisabeth Eidinow