In general I think it is safe to say that OB and its readers do not consider themselves philosophers and are not conversant with those systems of thought. It’s helpful at this point to recall Deleuze’s critique of philosophy here at OB, its repressive role in the history of thought.
OB in the main seem to consider themselves scientists, but altho I agree you are quite correct here to namecheck Wittgenstein, they do not overall view the world as he did—split coarsely between the analysis of language & concepts and the discovery of fact, or between philosophy and science.
I do think you have an excellent point that EY would benefit from reading PI (Philosophical Investigations), especially of course Sec. 561, where Wittgenstein discusses the meanings of “is.”
That might resolve his concern about its supposed ambiguity.
A more general note to the blog might be that Descartes took his cogito from Augustine’s formulation in City of God. There really is no doubt about its intended meaning—that commentators here might not know it or be able to articulate it doesn’t make the statement itself meaningless or nonsense.
It’s crucial to remember that the Cartesian project is to ultimately uphold the Sorbonne and Catholic doctrine; this is why his Dedication is to the theologians there. He himself was a devout Catholic his entire life and believed his Method extended Catholic thought and served to refute Skepticism.
@bigcitylib
In general I think it is safe to say that OB and its readers do not consider themselves philosophers and are not conversant with those systems of thought. It’s helpful at this point to recall Deleuze’s critique of philosophy here at OB, its repressive role in the history of thought.
OB in the main seem to consider themselves scientists, but altho I agree you are quite correct here to namecheck Wittgenstein, they do not overall view the world as he did—split coarsely between the analysis of language & concepts and the discovery of fact, or between philosophy and science.
I do think you have an excellent point that EY would benefit from reading PI (Philosophical Investigations), especially of course Sec. 561, where Wittgenstein discusses the meanings of “is.”
That might resolve his concern about its supposed ambiguity.
A more general note to the blog might be that Descartes took his cogito from Augustine’s formulation in City of God. There really is no doubt about its intended meaning—that commentators here might not know it or be able to articulate it doesn’t make the statement itself meaningless or nonsense.
It’s crucial to remember that the Cartesian project is to ultimately uphold the Sorbonne and Catholic doctrine; this is why his Dedication is to the theologians there. He himself was a devout Catholic his entire life and believed his Method extended Catholic thought and served to refute Skepticism.