F. P. Ramsey: Philosophical Papers (Paperback)

~ (Author), D. H. Mellor (Editor) "Philosophy must be of some use and we must take it seriously; it must clear our thoughts and so our actions..." (more)
Key Phrases: certain causal properties, predicative functions, variable hypotheticals, Principia Mathematica, Axiom of Infinity, Theory of Types (more...)

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Product Description

Frank Ramsey was the greatest of the remarkable generation of Cambridge philosophers and logicians which included G. E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Maynard Keynes. Before his tragically early death in 1930 at the age of twenty-six, he had done seminal work in mathematics and economics as well as in logic and philosophy. This volume, with a new and extensive introduction by D. H. Mellor, contains all Ramsey's previously published writings on philosophy and the foundations of mathematics. The latter gives the definitive form and defence of the reduction of mathematics to logic undertaken in Russell and Whitehead's Principia Mathematica; the former includes the most profound and original studies of universals, truth, meaning, probability, knowledge, law and causation, all of which are still constantly referred to, and still essential reading for all serious students of these subjects.

Book Description

A compilation of all previously published writings on philosophy and the foundations of mathematics from the greatest of the generation of Cambridge scholars that included G.E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Maynard Keynes.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 27, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521376211
• ISBN-13: 978-0521376211
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #506,750 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wittgenstein's Poker, March 25, 2004

By	Jeffrey Rubard (Beaverton, OR US) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Frank Ramsey is one of the rarely-mentioned geniuses of the 20th century, and this reissue of the material contained in *Foundations of Mathematics and Other Logical Essays* offers a body interested in decision theory a very fine view of the origins of that discipline. Ramsey's sparkling "Truth and Probability" gives the very best case for a theory of probability based in "subjective probability" (probability relative to an individual's beliefs); i.e., Ramsey's presentation of the concept of "ethically neutral choice" (a probability which divides an individual's beliefs and desires in two through their being "of no moment") escapes the problems confronting contemporary Bayesians through its strongly discursive character.

This is to say, we are talking about a gentle introduction to a forgotten giant of science rather than a whiz-bang technical report such as Ramsey was capable of producing; and in this monograph-length piece Ramsey sets a sets a standard forever damning those who crow about intellectual obsolescence as pikers. Thusly, perhaps whether the rest of Ramsey's then-seminal writings are worthy of such consideration turns on "turning", the amount of "work" his views on Russell and Keynes in light of his wider intellectual world can be made to do. Perhaps Hardy fans will already know there is a reason for this season; but to my mind Ramsey's work is as ready as it ever was for a wide readership (this is a book which was once read more, to salutary effects). Also an absolute must for British intellectual historians -- if you were wondering what really happened after a Tripos prize, this should give you a good idea.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ramsey's "Philosophical Papers.", March 29, 2009

By	Kiel N. Moreland - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While Frank Ramsey only lived for a short time, his philosophical ideas and theories are still having a tremendous impact upon modern philosophy, particularly in the areas of truth and logic. For anyone who desires to know more and critically analyze Ramsey's theories this book is a must-have.

5.0 out of 5 stars F.P. Ramsey, August 14, 2008

By	Alexander M. Lilley "Alexander Lilley" (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon offers a collection of papers by F.P. Ramsey; Such work has been influential on thinkers such as David K. Lewis of Princeton. These papers are cited, for example, in Lewis's reductionist accounts of causation (see Counterfactuals). Ramsey is also cited in Lewis's work on modal realism (see On the Plurality of Worlds). These philosophical papers can provide good primary source material for what has come to be known as the MRL theory- or the "Mill, Ramsey, Lewis" account- of lawhood. The writing is witty, even with its heavy use of mathematical and symbolic logic. Some consider Ramsey's work seminal in logic and modern philosophy of science.