Good Old Wittgenstein

Meeting a friend in the corridor, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) said: "Tell me, why do people always say that it was natural for men to assume that the sun went around the earth rather than the earth was rotating?"

His friend said: "Well, obviously, because it just looks as if the sun is going around the earth."

To which the philosopher replied: "Well, what would it look like if it had looked as if the earth were rotating?"

Comments

[Richard Fritzson]

Yes, Wittgenstein was a smart guy, but this exchange, I think, devalues the imagination and creativity it took to come up with the idea that the earth is rotating.

We all know what it's like to feel as though you are moving. And if you are standing still on a windless day you are not experiencing that feeling. And, if you've experienced the fun of being on a rotating object (in an amusement part or playground) you know about the experience of centripetal force. Again, you aren't feeling that either when you are standing still on the Earth.

It took enormous imagination to envision a rotating earth and to struggle against the false evidence of your senses which keep telling you that you are not moving but the sun is.

I think Wittgenstein was just showing off in that exchange.

[Roger von Oech]

Thanks for your comment Richard — especially this part: "I think, devalues the imagination and creativity it took to come up with the idea that the earth is rotating."

My take is that Wittgenstein felt that thinking people should more often question self-evident assumptions and imagine other scenarios in which what we experience can be explained.

[Jorge Castillo]

I think that the lesson from the philosopher is that something may have two explanations: 1) the natural-logical one and 2) the truth. So we better look for the second right answer.

[Jayesh]

Thanks for sharing.
The fact that you have left the post without any further explanation has made it even more nice read. This allows you to think which re- emphasizes the message Wittgenstein wanted to pass on.

Best Regards

Jayesh Badani | Founder & CEO ideaken.com - when you need to - collaborate to innovate

[grossesse]

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[belloween]

Why, it would look like the ground trembling, wind blowing from east to west, and probably some roaring noise too. Just what we experience when we're on something that moves fast.

[Toq]

What is the source for the anecdote?