Frank Ramsey

Frank Ramsey – Brother of the Archbishop Lord Michael Ramsey and son of A.S Ramsey (Mathematics, Vice-Master Magdelene, Cambs), died in 1930, aged just 26. [Cambs links broken – temporary here, and here.] Get’s a mention in Wittgenstein’s Poker as the “precociously brilliant mathematician” I notice, but I had not recognised his contribution to changing the thinking of Maynard-Keynes and Wittgenstein (post-Tractatus) until I read this. Hugh Mellor’s transcript of his 25 year old BBC radio program about Ramsey. [Quote] The final words of the Tractatus, for example – ‘Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent’ in the original English translation – positively reek of profundity. Whereas Ramsey’s ‘What we can’t say we can’t say, and we can’t whistle it either’ (p. 146) sounds much less impressive, although in fact it sums up a serious objection to the Tractatus, whose approach Ramsey was, incidentally, influential in persuading Wittgenstein to abandon.[Unquote]

On truth [Quote] “It is true that Caesar was murdered” means no more than “Caesar was murdered”. The real question is what it is to believe that Caesar was murdered – as opposed on the one hand to hoping, fearing or having some other attitude to Caesar’s murder, and on the other hand to having a belief about something else. If we can answer those questions we shall thereby also, Ramsey claimed, “have solved the problem of truth”[Unquote] Mentions also that Ramsey knew of C.S.Pierce, and he is compared to Quine – the line to Dennett is apparent ?

On deferred gratification [Quote] as Keynes remarked …. even a non-economist like me can appreciate Ramsey’s use, for the ideal state in which all possible enjoyment can be had now, so that there’s no need to save anything, of the technical term ‘bliss’! It isn’t only in economics that one wishes writers could more often be so apt and witty in their choice of words.[Unquote]

On binary choice [Quote] The adherents of two [opposing] theories could quite well dispute, although neither affirmed anything the other denied. [Unquote].

Quote from the Archbishop about his militant atheist brother [Quote] he was aware of mysticism as a kind of phenomenon worth studying empirically [Unquote]. A mind worth investigating methinks. The parallels in maths / economics / game theory with John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) are striking too.

Spooky photograph of Ramsey atop Red Pike in the English Lakes – a spot on which I’ve stood myself, possibly even been photographed.

Thales to Thatcher, Anaximander to Bush

Thales to Thatcher, Anaximander to Bush – A draft history of philosophy from Miles Hodges [via Jorn]. Rich summary of early stuff, getting a bit thin on content towards the modern day, but with interesting headings and links. In fact this is a review of the western world view contrasted with more oriental cultures – though Islam seems to be brushed aside ?

So it’s true – Google Buys Blogger

So it’s true – Google Buys Blogger. Dan Gillmor reporting at SiliconValley.com [via Jorn][via Slashdot]. As Jorn asks, why Blogger – the pioneers – as opposed to RadioUserland or MoveableType, the more sophisticated. Still, can’t complain – Google’s fine by me.

No coincidence ? Evhead goes offline [via Robb]

The Empire That Dare Not Speak Its Name

Rudyard Kipling – The White Man’s Burden. Interesting to see the final part of Empire by Niall Ferguson on UK’s Channel 4 and its characterisation of US dominance arising out of the fall of the British Empire. Britain “doing the right thing” in opposing two other evil empires at the cost of its own and a huge debt and reliance on the US, foreseen by Kipling. The Mahdi uprising in Iraq in 1880’s and parallels with Al Qaeda. US global brand domination, speed of light comms and speed of sound gunships – US Empire by any other name. Some thought provoking stuff to follow-up.

The 80/20 Rule in Blogging Communities

The 80/20 Rule in Blogging Communities. This piece from Clay Shirky has been bouncing around the blogosphere for some days – but I hadn’t spotted its significance until today. Most people are referring to “Power Law” from its title Power Law, Weblogs and Community. Part of the thesis, from my original manifesto is that Power Law distribtions (80/20 Rule) are in some way a natural part of all human endeavours. This paper includes statistical evidence and other research demonstrating this behaviour in clustering of hits around given sites in particular blogging communities, and concluding that it is natural and predictable, and further more the wider and freer the choice / access the more pronounced is the effect. Democracy creates inequality if you will – it’s natural, it’s human nature.

Sifry’s blog on this subject is interesting in suggesting that it is possible to hold this conclusion as both true and false, depending on the “scale” at which you view the situation, since there are levels of clustering within the overall statistical average view. Fractality at play here.