On 25 October 1946, in a crowded room in Cambridge, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper came face to face for the first and only time. The encounter lasted only ten minutes, and did not go well. Almost immediately, rumours started to spread around the world that the two philosophers had come to blows, armed with red-hot pokers. But what really happened?
Wittgenstein's Poker engagingly winds together philosophy, history and biography into a compelling piece of detective work. It ranges from the place of assimilated Jews in fin-de-siècle Vienna, to what happens to memory under stress, to a vivid portrait of Cambridge and its eccentric set of philosophy dons, including Bertrand Russell (who acted as umpire during the altercation). At the centre of the story stand the philosophers themselves, proud, irascible, larger than life, and spoiling for a fight.
'Those ten minutes shook the world of Western philosophy literally to its foundations . . . Edmonds and Eidinow have a very good story to tell, and they tell it wonderfully well.' Irish Times
'A meaty, exceedingly well-researched and engaging book. In its dramatic readability Wittgenstein's Poker brings to mind Simon Winchester's The Professor and the Madman; in the depth and breadth of its scholarship it evokes Carl Schorske's Fin-de-siècle Vienna . . . a marvel of passionate journalism.' San Francisco Chronicle
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Edmonds and Eidinow's treatment is a very clever and interesting way to introduce the history of philosophy in the first third of the 20th century. The 10 minute argument provides an effective and fascinating organising focus for the whole book--not only because one is curious to find out who said what and why--but because to understand what really happened involves finding out what kind of men these great philosophers were, and how they stood to the philosophic tradition. Popper's opposition to Wittgenstein however, was more than just a difference in philosophic views; on a deeper level Wittgenstein represented the Vienna that had been out of reach even to the son of a respected and socially responsible lawyer: "In Wittgenstein he saw the imperial city where riches and status commanded respect and opened doors, the separate territory where inflation-wrought poverty had no place and the Nazis could be bought off."
It is the social and political background of the story, the class differences, as well as the philosophic differences between the two great philosophers which makes this book so unusual and interesting. Part biography, part social history, part history of philosophy Wittgenstein's Poker is informative, entertaining and accessible. --Larry Brown
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. On 25 October 1946, in a crowded room in Cambridge, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper came face to face for the first and only time. The encounter lasted only ten minutes, and did not go well. Almost immediately, rumours started to spread around the world that the two philosophers had come to blows, armed with red-hot pokers . . . Part biography, part social history, part history of philosophy Wittgenstein's Poker is informative, entertaining and accessible. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780571227358
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Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. At the centre of the story stand the philosophers themselves, proud, irascible, larger than life, and spoiling for a fight.'Those ten minutes shook the world of Western philosophy literally to its foundations . Seller Inventory # B9780571227358
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Book Description Condition: New. 2005. Main. Paperback. On 25 October 1946, in a crowded room in Cambridge, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper came face to face for the first and only time. The encounter lasted only ten minutes, and did not go well. This book winds together philosophy, history and biography into a piece of detective work. Num Pages: 304 pages, Illustrations,ports. BIC Classification: HPC. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 210 x 128 x 23. Weight in Grams: 242. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780571227358
Book Description Condition: New. 2005. Main. Paperback. On 25 October 1946, in a crowded room in Cambridge, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper came face to face for the first and only time. The encounter lasted only ten minutes, and did not go well. This book winds together philosophy, history and biography into a piece of detective work. Num Pages: 304 pages, Illustrations,ports. BIC Classification: HPC. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 210 x 128 x 23. Weight in Grams: 242. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780571227358