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Wittgenstein

The Wittgenstein Archive

Bob Plant and Peter Baumann relate some lesser-known anecdotes about the great man and his acolytes.

As we crossed the bridge near Malcolm’s house, I asked Wittgenstein what he thought the nature of ethics was. He looked displeased with my question and stopped in his tracks. Then, after a few moments, he turned to me and said: “If I was a bird I would build a nest far from the ground. But I am a human being and so must live down here amongst the filth and litter.” What a mind he has! How much I value our discussions! (Perhaps I am not strong enough to do real philosophical work.

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