# W.V.O. Quine an Rudolf Carnap, 12. März 1934 März 1934

Lieber Herr Carnap!

Die ungünstige Nachricht betreffs des Stipendiums hat uns sehr leid getan. Hoffentlich werden Sie aber stattdessen etwas noch besseres erhalten. Es ist sehr gut, daß Sie an LewisP Lewis, Clarence Irving, 1883–1964, am. Philosoph geschrieben haben.

Wann Als ich Ihren letzteren Brief bekam, ging ich gerade an zu WhiteheadP Whitehead, Alfred North, 1861–1947, brit.-am. Philosoph, um ihm vertraulich mitzuteilen, daß Sie eine zeitliche oder beständige Professur in Amerika gern annehmen würden. (Er hatte mir seine hohe Achtung für Ihre Arbeit schon früher erwähnt.) Er war sehr interessiert und schlug vor, daß ich sofort einen Brief an LangfordP Langford, Cooper Harold, 1895–1964, am. Philosoph (University of MichiganI University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI) schreibe und seinen (Whitehead’s)P Whitehead, Alfred North, 1861–1947, brit.-am. Philosoph Name anwende. Gestern schrieb ich also an LangfordP Langford, Cooper Harold, 1895–1964, am. Philosoph einen höchst behutsamen Brief, der hoffentlich irgendeinen Erfolg gewähren wird.

John CooleyP Cooley, John C., am. Philosoph kennt NorthropP Northrop, 1908–1969, am. Philosoph (YaleI Yale University, New Haven CT) und wird ihm auch die Sache diplomatisch erheben nahelegen, fragen (ihm nahelegen oder: ihn in dieser Sache fragen).

Heute habe ich mit LewisP Lewis, Clarence Irving, 1883–1964, am. Philosoph gesprochen. Der ökonomischen Lage wegen gibt es natürlich fast keine freie Stellen im ganzen Lande; nichtsdestoweniger schien LewisP Lewis, Clarence Irving, 1883–1964, am. Philosoph hoffnungsvoll zu sein, denn es muß Ihres Ruhmes und der Wichtigkeit Ihrer Arbeit wegen jedenfalls in irgendeiner guten A amerikanischen Universität eine Stelle geben. Er fragtete mir mich nach Ihrem English, worüber ich ihn ruhig machte beruhigte. Er hat versprochen, einige Briefe dahinzuschicken, wo sie die besten Erfolge liefern sollen. Von WhiteheadP Whitehead, Alfred North, 1861–1947, brit.-am. Philosoph und auch LewisP Lewis, Clarence Irving, 1883–1964, am. Philosoph wurde die Idee einer Stellung an Harvard überhaupt nicht erwähnt, daraus dürfen Sie aber nichts ableiten, da so ein Begriff Idee, Plan wahrscheinlich oder: scheinbar etwas nicht vorauszuerwähnendes ist.

NaomiP Quine, Naomi, 1907–1997, geb. Clayton, 1932–1947 verh. mit Willard Van Orman Quine hat mich plötzlich unterbrochen, um vorzuschlagen, daß ich englisch schreibe, damit Sie Übung bekommen. Ihr Englisch wird zu einem näheren praktischen Zweck gefordert, als mein Deutsch.

I am glad your bookB 1934@Logische Syntax der Sprache, Wien, 1934 is with the printer, and am very eager to see it

[ENDE DER KOPIE]1 msl.🕮

in its final forma hsl. page 1 to be returned by Carnap– as also are many of my associates, to whom I have expressed my enthusiasm for the bookB 1934@Logische Syntax der Sprache, Wien, 1934.

Thank you for the offprint from Philosophy of Science I Philosophy of Science, Zeitschrift. I had read your articleB 1934@„On the Character of Philosophic Problems“, Philosophy of Science 1 (1), 1934, 5–19 earlier in the library, but was very glad to have a copy of my own. I thought the articleB 1934@„On the Character of Philosophic Problems“, Philosophy of Science 1 (1), 1934, 5–19 an effective and elegant summary of your doctrine of philosophy as grammar. I did not think Malisoff’sP Malisoff, William, 1895–1947, russ.-am. Philosoph translation altogether unexceptionable, however – for example, wouldn’t your use of “inhaltlich” be best translated as “material”, the usual English correlative of “formal”? I suggest that as relevant to the projected translation of your bookB 1937@The Logical Syntax of Language, London, 1937.

I am greatly impressed by the new quarterlyI Philosophy of Science, Zeitschrift– both by the imposing array of editors and contributors and by the quality of its make-up and typography. The journalI Philosophy of Science, Zeitschrift fulfills an urgent need. It is the first good philosophy periodical published in this country. (The Monist I The Monist, Zeitschrift and the Journal of Philosophy I are miserable rags, as you know.)

Last week, finally, I finished the thoroughgoing rewriting of my bookB Quine, Willard Van Orman!1934@A System of Logistic, Cambridge MA, 1934 and put it into the hands of the printer (Harvard University PressI Harvard University Press). Beyond the gain in generality afforded by the suppression of individuals in favor of sequences, the system has almost nothing in common with the form in which I sketched it to you in Prague. The system is now much simpler, and at the same time a much more radical departure from tradition, than it was in the earlier form. The bookB Quine, Willard Van Orman!1934@A System of Logistic, Cambridge MA, 1934 will have about 225 pages. WhiteheadP Whitehead, Alfred North, 1861–1947, brit.-am. Philosoph is writing a short preface for it. Since the bookB Quine, Willard Van Orman!1934@A System of Logistic, Cambridge MA, 1934 could not appear before June in any case, the publishers will probably hold it until September, since they deem that the best season for the marketing of an academic work.

I am glad to hear of the steps toward an English translation of your Logische Syntax B 1937@The Logical Syntax of Language, London, 1937, and of the projected translation of the Die physikalische Sprache usw B. I am slightly acquainted with the Psyche MiniaturesI Psyche Miniatures, and in fact have just now read Richards’P Richards, Ivor Armstrong, 1893–1979, brit. Literaturkritiker Basic Rules of Reason B, in Basic English. I am very much pleased with Basic English; it is an ingenious practical simplification, and not without a certain logical interest as 🕮 well. For the most part Richards’P Richards, Ivor Armstrong, 1893–1979, brit. Literaturkritiker little bookB resounds very naturally upon the orthodox English ear. The simplicity of vocabulary is aesthetically good, and conducive moreover to greater clarity by virtue of its greater Eindeutigkeit (we have no usual English word for this; the nearest is “univocal”). In using Basic English as an approach to standard English it must nevertheless be kept in mind that some of the Basic locutions are inadmissible in the regular language –e. g. “take a look at”, excessive use of “get”, et al. But Basic English is always thoroughly intelligible, and the bulk of it is idiomatically orthodox as well.

I am acquainted with The Meaning of Meaning B. It is an entertaining book, and says much that is sound and important, but, as you have remarked, it makes no pretense of subtle analysis.

I have recently discovered John Horne TookeP: B, or The Diversions of Purley B (late 18th century). It is both a highly amusing and an enlightening work, and one which I recommend to you if you have not seen it. TookeP writes that Locke’sP Locke, John, 1632–1704, brit. Philosoph Essay B is properly construed if for every occurrence of the word “idea” therein we substitute the word “word”. TookeP is a philologist and a philosopher; as a philosopher he practically, but not quite explicitly, subscribes to your doctrine that philosophy is grammar. On the other hand he na\"ıvely seeks to establish his doctrines by philological data; insofar as he does this he is of course a natural scientist, specifically an anthropologist, rather than a logician or grammarian. The bookB is a delight to read, especially the leisurely 18th-century vein of ridicule with which he fills his copious footnote-references to his contemporaries.

The three-year appointment which I am now enjoying is an ideal arrangement. My annual salary is $ 2250, I am given full library and lecture-attendance privileges, and I have no duties whatever; full time for research in any form I may choose. We must provide our own lodgings, but I am allowed all the meals I please in the university dining halls with🕮out cost. This is a convenience for me most noons and such other times as NaomiP Quine, Naomi, 1907–1997, geb. Clayton, 1932–1947 verh. mit Willard Van Orman Quine may have other plans. Unmarried appointees are provided with lodgings, but their stipend is reduced correspondingly.

The Society of Fellows (the group under consideration) has a suite of rooms, where we have one luncheon and one dinner together a week. The weekly dinner is followed by conversation which lasts till about midnight. It is always interesting and stimulating, for besides us six appointees (upper age limit of appointment 28) there are the so-called Senior Fellows, or sponsors, comprising seven more or less distinguished scholars, among them WhiteheadP Whitehead, Alfred North, 1861–1947, brit.-am. Philosoph. The six junior appointees will be added to each year until there is a total of 24, which will then be kept about constant; the Senior Fellows on the other hand will remain seven. This is the first year of the project; six to ten more young men are now being selected, from applicants all over the country, to join us next year. The object of the foundation is opportunity for three years of unhindered productive research or preparation. It is part of the policy that no credit toward degrees is allowed for work produced or courses attended during incumbency; this is of course irrelevant to the two of us who already have our doctorates.

The fall of the dollar has resulted in only a slight rise in prices. Rents in Cambridge, however, have always been high. A suite of several furnished rooms would cost you about $ 45 a month as a minimum, with gas, electricity, water and heat included. An unfurnished apartment (= “flat”, in Engld.) of an acceptable kind might be had for $ 30, and gas and electricity would cost about $ 3 a month additional. If you furnished such a place very simply and cautiously from second-hand stores, with our help – the procedure which we adopted two years ago – you could probably pass a year more cheaply than in furnished rooms, and you would have the added privacy of a separate entrance, whereof one usually cannot be assured in furnished lodgings. $ 25 a month would be ample for meals, prepared at home.

But such information is hardly relevant now that you are planning for a teaching position rather than a RockefellerI Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship. Your income will 🕮 be far greater with the former than with the latter, and you will have less reason to worry over expenses than we now have. Note incidentally that if you should be at some university other than HarvardI Harvard University, Cambridge MA your rent will be much less – at some places little more than half as much.

In any case of course we are looking forward to the pleasure of accompanying you in the search for lodgings and furniture – unless you should happen to be called to some such distant point as Iowa, Texas or California. Our hope is of course that you will be with us here at HarvardI Harvard University, Cambridge MA.

Many thanks for the two photographs. We were very happy to get them, and they are excellent pictures.

To return to the question of living expenses, I might mention that on my salary– which is certainly less than you will receive – we have been living in an attractive, light and centrally situated apartment with two large rooms plus bedroom, bathroom, hall and tiny kitchen. We have furnished the apartment completely with new and attractive furniture, which we shall have finished paying for in two more months. The furniture is all of first quality, but slowly and cautiously purchased – so slowly in fact that we were sleeping on the floor and I was using a board for a desk for a few weeks last September! But don’t let me alarm you; the caution was necessary merely in order to acquire our permanent furniture all at one time and at lowest prices.

With heartiest greetings to you bothP Carnap, Ina (eig. Elisabeth Maria immacul[ata] Ignatia), 1904–1964, geb. Stöger, heiratete 1933 Rudolf Carnap, also from NaomiP Quine, Naomi, 1907–1997, geb. Clayton, 1932–1947 verh. mit Willard Van Orman Quine‚

Sincerely yours‚
[Willard V. Quine]

Brief, msl., 5 Seiten, WQ; Briefkopf: msl. 65 Mt. Auburn Street  /  Cambridge, Mass. USA  /  d. 12. März. 1934, hsl. Kopie.

Processed with \(\mathsf{valep\TeX}\), Version 0.1, May 2024.