BBC
A History of Ideas: Wittgenstein’s Beetle In A Box Analogy
Aidan Turner on Wittgenstein’s Beetle In A Box Analogy
Can we ever know another person’s pain? Or even what their experience of the colour green might be? For Ludwig Wittgenstein, the answer to this question cut to the very heart of ‘meaning’. Does what we privately mean by ‘pain’ actually have any bearing on how we all use the word? His ‘Beetle in a Box’ analogy explains his stance very neatly. But be warned, if you think about the ramifications of this theory, you might find it has a profound effect on how you view the world!
Want to hear more on this topic?
Here’s the whole episode from A History of Ideas – Neuropsychologist Paul Broks on Wittgenstein.
Do we really have free will, or is it an illusion? Benjamin Libet’s neuro-science experiments seemed to indicate that human actions were taken before the conscious decision to take them was made.
Which is better – Freedom or Security? This is the question Thomas Hobbes tackled by imagining people living in a State of Nature without laws.
In a world beset by evils from human cruelty, to natural disasters, to daytime TV, how can there be an omnipotent, omniscient, caring God?
Why shouldn’t we be able to live our lives as we please, so long as we aren’t causing harm to others?