Frank P. Ramsey

British mathematician, philosopher, and economist (1903–1930)

Fame53.8
Momentum0.4
Wikipedia6.4K

Source-basedStable

Lived 1903–1930, aged 27United Kingdom

United Kingdom AcademicsAcademic

Wikipedia
38 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1903–1930
Aged 27

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

A mathematician who died at 26 having already reshaped logic, economics, and philosophy — and translated Wittgenstein's Tractatus as an undergraduate.

Biography

About

Frank Plumpton Ramsey was born on 22 February 1903 in Britain. While still an undergraduate, he translated Ludwig Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus into English and became close friends with the Austrian philosopher. He joined the Cambridge Apostles, the secret intellectual society, in 1921. Ramsey made major contributions across mathematics, philosophy, and economics, and played a key role in persuading Wittgenstein to return to philosophy and Cambridge. He died on 19 January 1930, at 26.

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Frank P. Ramsey

Frank P. Ramsey

said1929

Philosophy must be of some use and we must take it seriously; it must clear our thoughts and so our actions.

— "Philosophy" (1929) as quoted by Nils-Eric Sahlin, The Philosophy of F. P. Ramsey (1990)

Frank P. Ramsey

said1929

But what we can't say we can't say, and we can't whistle it either.

— Generally accepted as commentary on Wittgenstein's dictum "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent". See Cora Diamond, "'We

Frank P. Ramsey

saidDec 1928

The first problem I propose to tackle is this: how much of its income should a nation save?

— "A Mathematical Theory of Saving", The Economic Journal, Vol. 38, No. 152 (Dec., 1928)

Frank P. Ramsey

saidDec 1928

It is worth pausing for a moment to consider how far our conclusions are affected by considerations which our simplifying assumptions have forced us to neglect.

— "A Mathematical Theory of Saving", The Economic Journal, Vol. 38, No. 152 (Dec., 1928)

Frank P. Ramsey

said1925

The object of this paper is to give a satisfactory account of the Foundations of Mathematics in accordance with the general method of Frege, Whitehead and Russell.

— Preface

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Gallery