Philosophy belongs to the world of ideas, while waving a poker about traditionally belongs to other spheres of human life. However, on one famous occasion, philosophy and a poker came together.
Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the greatest 20th-century philosophers, and was very likely also the only one who knew how to work a howitzer, having served in the Austrian army in WWI (he was decorated for bravery). Karl Popper was 13 years younger than Wittgenstein, was also Jewish, Viennese, and a product of the fading culture of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and was also a renowned philosopher. Popper’s The Open Society and its Enemies, a strong defence of the virtues of western, liberal democracy, had just been published in 1945.
Yet they had never met before their encounter at the Cambridge Moral Science Club – and they were never to meet again. The club was a venue where college dons and students could meet and discuss philosophy. On this October night the heavyweights were out in force to hear Popper, the guest speaker, give a paper entitled ‘Are There Philosophical Problems?’, the club’s chairman, Wittgenstein, was present, as was Bertrand Russell (see 1920: Lenin disappoints Bertrand Russell),
Popper spoke for about 10 minutes, Wittgenstein left when Popper finished. The essential guide to this most controversial 10 minutes in philosophy is Wittgenstein’s Poker (2001) by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. The philosophical disagreement between Wittgenstein and Popper was fundamental. For Wittgenstein, philosophy was about the nature of language; the so-called ‘problems’ of philosophy were simply to do with misuse of language. For Popper, philosophy was about morality, about life, how we live together.
A rumour spread quickly that the two men had duelled with pokers: Popper stated in his 1974 autobiography that Wittgenstein had been waving a poker, making emphatic gesturers with it, while asking Popper for a ‘moral rule’. Popper suggested that a good rule would be ‘not to threaten visiting lecturers with pokers’, whereupon Wittgenstein threw down the poker and stormed out of the room.
What Happened Next
Wittgenstein died in 1951, but had already challenged Popper’s widely circulated version of the poker evening. It seems quite possible that Wiggenstsein did wave a poker: academics in full flow often employ props, but it seems improbable that Wittgenstein used it in any threatening manner. As for leaving early, he was easily bored and often left meetings early. There have been several versions of the poker incident from the philosophers present, and disciples of both men inevitably became involved. The awful implications of such basic disagreement – among such observers – with regard to the reliability of personal testimony, are often commented upon. Wittgenstein may share another odd connection with Popper. Wittgenstein was at school with Hitler in Linz 1903-1904 (there has been speculation that he is the ‘Jewish boy’ mentioned with hatred in Mein Kampf), and it has been suggested that Hitler – while a struggling artist – may have benefited from a charity that Popper’s father contributed to.