How Bertrand Russell Saved Ludwig Wittgenstein's Life

The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein told his lover David Pinsent that Russell’s words of encouragement at the start of his dabbling with philosophy had been his salvation and put an end to nine years of loneliness and suffering in the constant shadow of suicide.
Russell described him as “perhaps the most perfect example I have ever known of genius as traditionally conceived, passionate, profound, intense, and dominating” and said that “he has more passion about philosophy than I have; his avalanches make mine seem mere snowballs”
But before all this became clear, Wittgenstein was tortured by the fear that he was destined for failure. He feared he was a dilettante and was a waste of space. Russell’s validation of him allowed him to set aside ‘a hint that he was de trop in this world’.
Had he arrived years earlier or later, he may have found a Russell that was less sentimental and more protective of his role in technical philosophy. But due to a number of events in Russell’s life he arrived at the perfect time for Russell to embrace him with open arms (eventually)
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🎶 Music Used:
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3. Juniper — Kevin MacLeod
4. Evening Fall Harp — Kevin MacLeod
5. End of the Era — Kevin MacLeod
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⌛ Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
1:40 The Preparation of Russell
5:38 The Austrian Aristocrat
8:35 When Bertrand met Ludwig
12:37 The Student Becomes Master
15:26 The Fragile Genius
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#Wittgenstein #thelivingphilosophy #Russell #analyticphilosophy

[TheLivingPhilosophy]

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⌛ Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
1:40 The Preparation of Russell
5:38 The Austrian Aristocrat
8:35 When Bertrand met Ludwig
12:37 The Student Becomes Master
15:26 The Fragile Genius

[kirklazenby]

I read somewhere that his sister was always concerned with his "oddness" as a child. One day she asked "Ludwig, why are you so strange?" Apparently the child Wittgenstein replied "Through this window, you see a man in the street walking strangely. But what you cannot see through the closed window, is the raging storm he is walking into"

[Eternalised]

Brilliant analysis of Wittgenstein, really enjoyed it!!

[JLevant]

As an aging student of both mathematics and philosophy, your presentation brought tears of joy and sadness to my eyes. Thanks

[janegadd]

Brilliant, wonderful. my husband is a philosopher thinker and much, much more, so I have in all our 45 years together heard him speak of Wittgenstein. Thank you!

[pillmuncher]

Each time I re-read the Philosophical Investigations, my mind is blown anew.

[turbochad]

Very well done analysis on Wittgenstein! You have done quite well my good sir!

[Tahycoon]

What makes me wonder even more is how many potential great minds were wasted because they were not in the perfect position.
Just imagine Wittgenstein's luck was not high enough to put him in this lucky position to meet Russel, he would've decided and we would've never heard of him. This terrifies me when I realize that maybe hundreds were unlucky, and who knows what they could've provided to us.

Thank you for the video!

[xmifi]

Keep up the excellent work. I enjoy your unique and sometimes poetic description of the different philosophers.

[xtenkfarpl]

It says a lot for Russel that he was willing to support Wittgenstein. One can hardly imagine two less compatible philosophers.

[ryanoconnor]

Thank you for this incredible story. I never knew that Russel + Wittgenstein were so connected. What a fantastic experience Ive had enjoying your delivery here. Happy New Year 🎊

[rogerwolsey]

I am impressed by this tribute to two very great men with great obvious care for their contributions to Philosophy. I was a bit surprised to hear you say that Vegan Stein stopped his work pretty much with the truck Tardes, but he later shifted away from that logical positive his perspective to embrace the more post modern, meaning is use paradigm. I wonder if you can speak about that and the significance of that in the field of philosophy as well.

[dianarolls]

Talk about intense - there is one philosophical truth we can agree on, Ottoline was mesmerizingly beautiful.

[MV-vvsg]

Having finished the Tractatus and now deep in the PI I had to revisit this. Thank you again (Ex post facto) for your amazing work which constantly delights and provides impetus in me.

[satnamo]

The adventure of life is to learn what I find interesting
And remember what matters to me.

Teaching is even more difficult than learning because what teaching calls for is this:

Encouragement and inspiration because genuine interest cannot be forced.

Not forcing is Wu wei

[spaceofreasons]

While Ray Monk’s ‘Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius’
offers a good biography for Wittgenstein .

I would recommend ‘Wittgenstein's Tractatus: A Dialectical Interpretation’ by
Matthew B. Ostrow.

[adrianalexander]

Thelivingphilosophy with another great video. Well done, keep grinding 👍🏻

[valleyflaneur]

Excellent video, clear and substantive. thanks

[eeeeeee]

Good work! Exactly what I was after, and succinct/comprehensive. What book/s are these quotes from?

[spyology]

The narrator's voice reminds me that of Moriarty (from the series Sherlock)