Philosopher Profiles
David Kellogg Lewis
(September 28, 1941 — October 14, 2001)
David Lewis knows what food penguins eat with almost Descartes-like certainty: “Cogito ergo penguine eaty fishies” if you will.
Lewis is famous for arguing that even if you could go back in time to kill your grandfather before you were born there would always be something that stops you as, while there is nothing physically impossible about doing so, there is something logically impossible about it. After publishing this view he was hired for a short time by the FBI who hoped to use Lewis' ‘Logic Technology’ to protect the president.
Written By: Mark Wales
Created: 1st January, 2008 | Last Updated: 2nd February, 2008
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(Image of David Kellogg Lewis is copyright of the original owner. Used under Fair Use laws.)
Photograph
More beard than man.
Stats
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Main Contributions:
Possible world semantics -
Quotation:
“I know what food penguins eat.” -
Key Areas:
Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics, Logic -
Annoying Habits:
Killing his grandfather before he was born to see what happens. -
Nicknames:
Louie Louie
Top Trumps
- Beard: 5
- Fame: 4
- Logic: 4
- Readability: 5
- Contribution: 4
