ABSTRACT
One of the niftiest tricks in academic writing is to take a tiny event and illumine an entire universe. This is precisely what David Edmonds and John Eidinow—two journalists with the British Broadcasting Corporation—have attempted. Ludwig Wittgenstein lived in a world of British culture, whilst Karl Popper continued to reside in the world of European politics. On October 25, 1946, in a lecture hall at Cambridge University, Wittgenstein and Popper came together for their first and only engagement. Popper claims that his adversary "had been nervously playing with the poker" which he used "like a conductor's baton to emphasize his assertions". For Wittgenstein, ideas have no meaning beyond the observer and hence no consequences, whereas for Popper ideas have great meaning for collectivities beyond the observer and hence considerable consequences. Wittgenstein was the consummate professional philosopher, the epitome of positivism, and a virtual demigod at the university.
