From: Yash (yashk2000@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Jan 07 2002 - 04:44:24 MST
The tests of the propeller were successful but, needing to understand more
mathematics for his research, he began a study which soon involved him in
the foundations of mathematics. Russell had published his Principles of
Mathematics in 1903 and Wittgenstein turned to this work as he sought a
better understanding of foundations of his subject. He became so interested
in Russell's work that he decided that he wanted to learn more.
Wittgenstein left Manchester in 1911 to study mathematical logic with
Russell in Cambridge. Russell was not one to be easily impressed by a
student, but he was certainly very impressed by Wittgenstein. Russell wrote
that teaching Wittgenstein was:-
... one of the most exciting intellectual adventures [of my life]. ...
[Wittgenstein had] fire and penetration and intellectual purity to a quite
extraordinary degree. ... [He] soon knew all that I had to teach.
By 1912 Russell had become convinced that Wittgenstein possessed a genius
which should be directed towards mathematical philosophy. He therefore
persuaded Wittgenstein to give up any ideas that he still had to resume his
applied mathematical work on aeronautics.
The first paper that Wittgenstein presented was to the Cambridge
Philosophical Society in 1912. Entitled What is philosophy it [11]:-
... shows that from the very beginning Wittgenstein recognised the
importance of understanding the nature of philosophical problems and of
reflecting on the appropriate methods for approaching them.
During this period at Cambridge Wittgenstein continued to work on the
foundations of mathematics and also on mathematical logic. However
Wittgenstein found Cambridge less than an ideal place to work since he felt
that the academics there were merely trying to be clever in their
discussions while their ideas lacked depth. He went to Skjolden in Norway
and this was an extremely fruitful period during which lived in isolation
working on his ideas on logic and language that would form the basis of his
great work the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Sep 25 2002 - 13:28:38 MDT