The Foundations of Mathematics

Few philosophers of the twentieth century have influenced the sciences as much as Frank Plumpton Ramsey (1903–1930). He did pioneering work in pure mathematics, logic, economics, statistics, probability theory, decision theory and cognitive psychology. His philosophical works included “Universals” (1925), “Facts and propositions” (1927), “Universals of law and of fact” (1928), “Knowledge” (1929), “Theories” (1929), and “General propositions and causality” (1929). Some philosophers consider him to have been, or at least to have had the potential to be, an even greater philosopher than Wittgenstein. But Ramsey died young – at the age of 26 – after an abdominal operation.