Two philosophers nearly came to blows over whether moral rules even exist
On 25 October 1946, Karl Popper visited Cambridge's Moral Sciences Club to argue genuine philosophical problems exist, challenging Wittgenstein's view that philosophy only dissolves linguistic confusions. Accounts differ, but witnesses agreed the meeting grew heated, with Wittgenstein reportedly brandishing a poker before storming out when Popper named a moral rule as an example: 'Not to threaten visiting lecturers with pokers.' The clash became one of philosophy's most argued-over anecdotes.