Frank P. Ramsey

express say whistle

"What we can't say we can't say, and we can't whistle it either."

— Frank P. Ramsey (1903-1930)

physical size humble heavens stars quality think love

"[I attach] little importance to physical size. I don't feel the least humble before the vastness of the heavens. The stars may be large, but they cannot think or love; and these are qualities which impress me far more than size does."

— Frank P. Ramsey (1903-1930)

philosophy danger laziness wooliness scholasticism vague precise

“The chief danger to our philosophy, apart from laziness and woolliness, is scholasticism, . . . which is treating what is vague as if it were precise....”

— Frank P. Ramsey (1903-1930)

logic tautology mathematics identity philosophy definition trivial

“Logic issues in tautologies, mathematics in identities, philosophy in definitions; all trivial, but all part of the vital work of clarifying and organising our thought.”

— Frank P. Ramsey (1903-1930)

humble vastness heaven think love perspective foreground human

“I don't feel the least humble before the vastness of the heavens. The stars may be large, but they cannot think or love; and these are qualities which impress me far more than size does.

My picture of the world is drawn in perspective, and not like a model to scale. The foreground is occupied by human beings and the stars are all as small as threepenny bits.”

— Frank P. Ramsey (1903-1930)