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I have zip, zilch, and zero first hand knowledge of Wittgenstein, but I will report on what two of my college profs said: In college, as a math/physics major,

I have zip, zilch, and zero first hand knowledge of Wittgenstein, but I will report on what two of my college profs said: In college, as a math/physics major, I relented and signed up for a course Philosophy of Science. The course was taught in the philosophy department by a guy from the Bible Department -- the Presbyterian church chipped in some money for the college which however had a good physics department (with some USAF money) and a quite good math department. So, the course got to Wittgenstein. The prof was traveling or some such so asked a math prof to give the class on Wittgenstein. As the class started, the math prof winced, hesitated, and said: "I read the Wittgenstein. Uh, let's f'get about Wittgenstein." That was enough Wittgenstein for me! The reaction of the Chair of the physics department was "Get your Ph.D. first and philosophize later." For me, now is "later", and I conclude that his advice was good: Just how math, physics, and the rest of science do or do not work is not simple, and even a first level understanding needs quite a lot of experience, at least observation, of what does or does not work. Sorry, Ludwig, buddy. Go sign up for a math/physics major, get a Ph.D. in one of those, get experience for some decades, and then see if you can formulate a clean, simple, solid philosophy for how it all should work! My guess is, even with all the background, you can't do it! Sorry 'bout that!

speedplane 7y ago
> Go sign up for a math/physics major, get a Ph.D. in one of those, get experience for some decades, and then see if you can formulate a clean, simple, solid philosophy for how it all should work! My guess is, even with all the background, you can't do it! This is pretty laughable. Math/physics and philosophy may both involve logic, but they are so different. It's neither necessary nor sufficient to be good in one to do well in the other. I'm sorry you had a bad experience in your own philosophy classes, but I've found that understanding some of the basics of philosophy (utilitarianism, natural rights, etc.), have vastly helped me understand why people in the STEM fields are motivated to work on one project versus another.
- graycat 7y ago
  As I wrote, the class was Philosophy of Science The course prof suggested that a math prof teach the class. That was ALL right there in my original post. Again, once again, over again, yet again, one more time, just for you, as in my post and as here, the class was Philosophy of Science Understand now???? So, a local community college may be able to give you a remedial course in reading comprehension. I'm sorry you are having so much trouble with simple reading. Your response, ignoring Philosophy of Science is "laughable". You have insulted me and humiliated yourself. I was torqued. I had big justification in being torqued: I was trying, trying to learn math, physics, and in general science. So, hearing about the course in Philosophy of Science I took a chance, signed up, spent the time and the MONEY, tried, and the result was that a math prof's view was "f'get about Wittgenstein" and a physics prof said to philosophize after a Ph.D. So, the course and Wittgenstein ripped me off, wasted my time and money. I was ripped off, had good justification to be torqued, and was. Again, here I'm reporting what two of my profs said.
  - speedplane 7y ago
    > I had big justification in being torqued: I was trying, trying to learn math, physics, and in general science. So, hearing about the course in Philosophy of Science I took a chance, signed up, spent the time and the MONEY, tried, and the result was [... not good]. If you want to learn math or physics, take a math or physics class. A "Philosophy of Science" class will not teach you that. Philosophy studies how people think, how they perceive things, how they organize their motivations ... i.e., why people do what they do. In a "Philosophy of Science" class, I'd expect to learn about why so many people think science is important, why many people feel a desire to learn or have curiosity, and the repercussions of this on the individual and society. Again, I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but it seems like you were trying to get something out of a class that it was never intended to give you.
nairboon 7y ago
>Sorry, Ludwig, buddy. Go sign up for a math/physics major, You realize that Wittgenstein studied mechanical engineering and aeronautics?
- graycat 7y ago
  Again, once again, over again, yet again, one more time, as I wrote: "I have zip, zilch, and zero first hand knowledge of Wittgenstein, but I will report on what two of my college profs said" Maybe a local community college will be able to help you with reading comprehension, too.

speedplane 7y ago

> Go sign up for a math/physics major, get a Ph.D. in one of those, get experience for some decades, and then see if you can formulate a clean, simple, solid philosophy for how it all should work! My guess is, even with all the background, you can't do it! This is pretty laughable. Math/physics and philosophy may both involve logic, but they are so different. It's neither necessary nor sufficient to be good in one to do well in the other. I'm sorry you had a bad experience in your own philosophy classes, but I've found that understanding some of the basics of philosophy (utilitarianism, natural rights, etc.), have vastly helped me understand why people in the STEM fields are motivated to work on one project versus another.

graycat 7y ago
As I wrote, the class was Philosophy of Science The course prof suggested that a math prof teach the class. That was ALL right there in my original post. Again, once again, over again, yet again, one more time, just for you, as in my post and as here, the class was Philosophy of Science Understand now???? So, a local community college may be able to give you a remedial course in reading comprehension. I'm sorry you are having so much trouble with simple reading. Your response, ignoring Philosophy of Science is "laughable". You have insulted me and humiliated yourself. I was torqued. I had big justification in being torqued: I was trying, trying to learn math, physics, and in general science. So, hearing about the course in Philosophy of Science I took a chance, signed up, spent the time and the MONEY, tried, and the result was that a math prof's view was "f'get about Wittgenstein" and a physics prof said to philosophize after a Ph.D. So, the course and Wittgenstein ripped me off, wasted my time and money. I was ripped off, had good justification to be torqued, and was. Again, here I'm reporting what two of my profs said.
- speedplane 7y ago
  > I had big justification in being torqued: I was trying, trying to learn math, physics, and in general science. So, hearing about the course in Philosophy of Science I took a chance, signed up, spent the time and the MONEY, tried, and the result was [... not good]. If you want to learn math or physics, take a math or physics class. A "Philosophy of Science" class will not teach you that. Philosophy studies how people think, how they perceive things, how they organize their motivations ... i.e., why people do what they do. In a "Philosophy of Science" class, I'd expect to learn about why so many people think science is important, why many people feel a desire to learn or have curiosity, and the repercussions of this on the individual and society. Again, I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but it seems like you were trying to get something out of a class that it was never intended to give you.

nairboon 7y ago

>Sorry, Ludwig, buddy. Go sign up for a math/physics major, You realize that Wittgenstein studied mechanical engineering and aeronautics?

graycat 7y ago
Again, once again, over again, yet again, one more time, as I wrote: "I have zip, zilch, and zero first hand knowledge of Wittgenstein, but I will report on what two of my college profs said" Maybe a local community college will be able to help you with reading comprehension, too.