Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2024

DOI

10.15845/nwr.v13.3691

Publication Title

Nordic Wittgenstein Review

Volume

13

Pages

1-16

Abstract

We analyze two problems in mathematics – the first (stated in our title) is extracted from Wittgenstein’s “Philosophy for Mathematicians”; the second (“What set of numbers is non-denumerable?”) is taken from Cantor. We then consider, by way of comparison, a problem in musical aesthetics concerning a Brahms variation on a theme by Haydn. Our aim is twofold: first, to bring out and elucidate the essentially riddle-like character of these problems; second, to show that the comparison with riddles does not reduce their solution to an exercise in bare subjectivity

Rights

Open Access Publication: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2024 The Authors

Article is a prepublication under review until 05-12-2024.

Original Publication Citation

Wheeler, S., & Brenner, W. (2024). “What line can’t be measured with a ruler?”: Riddles and concept-formation in mathematics and aesthetics: Nordic Wittgenstein Review. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.15845/nwr.v13.3691

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