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Tallis in Wonderland

Arguing with a Solipsist

Raymond Tallis takes it upon himself to prove that you exist.

In Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Value (1948), Bertrand Russell claimed that he had received an extraordinary letter from an eminent logician, Christine Ladd-Franklin. She informed him that she was a solipsist, and was surprised that her views were not shared. As Russell pointed out, her surprise was itself rather surprising. Solipsism, after all, is the belief that there is nothing outside of one’s own mind. This would rule out other minds being available to share Ladd-Franklin’s commitment to the doctrine.

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