Philosophy Bites: Cheryl Misak on Frank Ramsey's Life and Thought

Episode Date: September 24, 2024
Guests: Cheryl Misak (author and philosopher)
Hosts: David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton

Main Theme

This episode delves into the profound yet tragically brief life of Frank Ramsey, a Cambridge philosopher, mathematician, and economist. Cheryl Misak, author of Ramsey’s leading biography, discusses the intersection of Ramsey’s humanistic values and intellectual work, highlighting how his unorthodox personality and pragmatic philosophy revolutionized twentieth-century thought.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ramsey’s Immense Influence Across Disciplines

• [01:00] Misak: Ramsey was, as economist Paul Samuelson said, “a genius by any test of genius.”
• Ramsey’s work spans combinatoric mathematics (Ramsey Theory), economics (optimal taxation and savings), and philosophy (Ramsey sentences, Ramsey effect).
• The “Ramsey effect”: discovering an idea only to find Ramsey had it first in 1927.

2. Upbringing and Early Influences

• [02:06] Misak: Ramsey’s father was a minor mathematics academic; his mother, a passionate progressive and socialist.
• Childhood involved direct charitable acts, instilling strong values and empathy.

3. Ramsey’s Socialism vs. His Economics

• [03:01] Misak: Despite being a foundational figure in rational choice theory, Ramsey was a socialist, influenced by Morris Dobb at Cambridge.
• He “hated the fact that he’s considered the founder of rational choice theory,” as his own arguments stressed these models were “highly idealized,” not realistically attainable.
• His economics incorporated justice—he argued, for instance, that “discounting the utility of future generations would be unjust,” blending utilitarian and left-wing welfare considerations.

4. Human-Centered Philosophy

• [06:15] Misak: “Ramsay was first and foremost in philosophy a pragmatist.”
• He believed philosophical concepts like truth should be analyzed starting from “human beings and the role these concepts play in human inquiry, in human lives,” not from metaphysical abstraction.
• Notably, Ramsey was “the first reliabilist in the theory of knowledge.”

5. Interplay with Wittgenstein

• [07:15] Misak: Wittgenstein strongly influenced Ramsey, but “Ramsay was an enormous influence on Wittgenstein” as well.
• Ramsey translated the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, reading it aloud in English as it was transcribed—a translation Wittgenstein said “had more authority than the original.”
• Despite his admiration, Ramsey’s later pragmatism sharply contrasted with Wittgenstein’s idealized, non-human logical theory of meaning.

6. Ethics and the Meaning of Life

• [09:50] Misak: Wittgenstein famously held that “of propositions about the meaning of life, we must be silent.”
• At a Cambridge Apostles debate, Russell gave a cosmic, pessimistic view of meaning. Ramsey, in contrast, said, “Unlike some of my friends, I find life quite wonderful and enjoyable because I take the human perspective.”
• Ramsey emphasized focusing on what’s meaningful in human terms, not cosmic scale.

7. Ramsey’s Personality and Its Philosophical Impact

• [12:49] Misak: “Ramsey turned out to be the sunniest, most lovable character… it's very hard to find anyone who would say a bad word about him.”
• He was warm, empathetic, and practical—a contrast to the distant Wittgenstein or the gregarious but less empathetic Russell.
• Paul Samuelson described Ramsey’s pursuit as “the feasible first best”—seeking what humans can realistically achieve, not idealized perfection.

8. Source of Ramsey’s Pragmatism

• [14:37] Misak: Ramsey was introduced to pragmatism in school by Charles K. Ogden and the writings of Charles Peirce.
• Reading Peirce’s freshly-published papers inspired Ramsey to self-identify as a pragmatist by 1922.

9. Insights from Writing the Biography

• [16:04] Misak: “I had thought that pragmatism manifested itself...in his theory of belief...but it turned out...this idea of the feasible first best really was the governing thought of all of his work…”

Notable Quotes

• On Ramsey’s genius and influence:

  • “A genius by any test of genius.” (Misak, 01:00)
  • “The Ramsey effect is when you think you’ve just come up with some absolutely stunningly brilliant cool idea and it turns out that Frank Ramsey in 1927 already had it.” (Misak, 01:43)

• On pragmatism and realism:

  • “What Ramsey was after was what human beings can realistically get to.” (Misak, 13:46)
  • “He was after a realistic philosophy and a realistic economics, and I think that is because as a human being, he was after the best that we human beings can do.” (Misak, 14:10)

• On the meaning of life debate:

  • “Unlike some of my friends, I find life quite wonderful and enjoyable because I take the human perspective.” (Misak, 12:21)

• On Ramsey’s character:

  • “Ramsey turned out to be the sunniest, most lovable character...It's very hard to find anyone who would say a bad word about him.” (Misak, 12:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00] – Ramsey’s genius and achievements
• [02:06] – Upbringing and family influence
• [03:01] – Socialism, economics, and idealization
• [06:15] – Human-centered pragmatist philosophy
• [07:15] – Relationship with Wittgenstein; translating the Tractatus
• [09:50] – Ethics, meaning of life, and Ramsey’s humanism
• [12:49] – Personality and its connection to philosophical outlook
• [14:37] – How Ramsey discovered pragmatism
• [16:04] – Insights gained from researching the biography

Memorable Moments

• Ramsey declared the Tractatus English translation “had more authority than the original.” ([08:36])
• The Apostles debate: Ramsey’s warm, human perspective on meaning contrasted with Russell’s and Wittgenstein’s bleakness. ([11:40])
• The “feasible first best” captures Ramsey’s drive for practical solutions over unattainable ideals. ([13:42])

Summary

Cheryl Misak’s conversation offers a vivid portrait of Frank Ramsey—not just as a mathematical and philosophical prodigy, but as a deeply humane thinker. Rooted in empathy, pragmatism, and realism, Ramsey’s groundbreaking ideas across multiple fields were driven by a sincere concern for what ordinary human beings could achieve. His blend of optimism and practicality set him apart from the more austere figures of his Cambridge circle and continues to shape philosophy and economics today.