Young Wittgenstein and Russell’s multiple relation theory of judgement

In June 1913, Bertrand Russell abandoned writing a book (partly published in 1984 under the title Theory of Knowledge), apparently because of a “paralysing” objection made to him by the 24-year-old Ludwig Wittgenstein, then a research student at Cambridge. 

Wittgenstein’s objection was directed at the so-called “multiple relation theory of judgement” that Russell had defended in publications in 1910 and 1912 and a version of which was to be outlined in the abandoned manuscript. In this talk, Alex will ask whether Russell ought to have succumbed to the paralysis induced by Wittgenstein’s objection.

Alex Miller is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Otago. He works mainly in the areas of philosophy of language and mind, metaethics, and metaphysics.