Wittgenstein's Poker
by David Edmonds, John Eidinow · first published 2001
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On October 25, 1946, in Cambridge, England, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper came face-to-face for the first and only time. The encounter lasted just ten minutes, and did not go well. 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, armed with red-hot pokers. Twenty years later, when Popper wrote an account of the incident, he portrayed himself as the victor, provoking intense disagreement. Everyone present seems to have remembered events differently. What really
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…curious about the life and times of Ludwig Wittgenstein, the formative years of analytic philosophy, and an intriguing incident which took place at Cambridge in 1946, I would highly recommend the book Wittgenstein's Poker by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. It begins: On the evening of Friday, 25 October 1946 the Cambridge Moral Science Club--a weekly discussion group for the university's philosophers and philosophy students--held…
on “The do-it-yourself life of Ludwig Wittgenstein (1988)” ↗…Refutations". I read it years ago when I was in grad school. Popper's writing is clear and jargon-free, so anyone who is interested in his ideas should take a look at some of the original sources. Finally, "Wittgenstein's Poker" by David Edmonds and John Eidinow takes an argument between Wittgenstein and Popper as a starting point for exploring their lives and work.
on “The Paradox of Karl Popper” ↗…everyone and got me interested in economics and philosophy: - The Worldly Philosophers by Robert Heilbroner - The Cost of Rights: Why Liberty Depends on Taxes by Stephen Holmes and Cass Sunstein - Wittgenstein's Poker by David Edmonds and John Eidinow - A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've ever read?” ↗There are lots of great books on the Vienna Circle. Check out Dave Edmonds' Wittgenstein's Poker (2001) for a fun and accessible intro.
on “The Vienna Circle” ↗If you want something more than the Wikipedia content, try the book Wittgenstein's Poker. My book club read it about a decade ago and it's one of the few titles we keep referring back to.
on “Paul Chan: Drawings for Word Book by Ludwig Wittgenstein” ↗