Bertrand Russell: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:27, 27 December 2024

Bertrand Arthur William Russell (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, and social critic best known for his work in mathematical logic and analytic philosophy. He was a prominent public intellectual and a leading figure in the development of 20th-century philosophy.

Early Life and Education[edit]

Russell was born into an aristocratic family in Trellech, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was the grandson of John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, who was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Russell was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied mathematics and philosophy.

Philosophical Work[edit]

Russell is best known for his work in logic and the philosophy of mathematics. His most significant contribution is the co-authorship of Principia Mathematica with Alfred North Whitehead, a landmark work in formal logic. Russell's work laid the foundation for much of modern analytic philosophy.

Logic and Mathematics[edit]

Russell's work in logic and mathematics was groundbreaking. He developed the theory of types to resolve the paradoxes in set theory, such as Russell's paradox. His work in this area influenced the development of computer science and artificial intelligence.

Analytic Philosophy[edit]

Russell was a leading figure in the development of analytic philosophy, which emphasizes clarity and logical rigor. He was a proponent of logical atomism, a theory that the world consists of logical "atoms" or facts that cannot be broken down further.

Social and Political Activism[edit]

Russell was also known for his social and political activism. He was an outspoken critic of war and imperialism, and he advocated for nuclear disarmament. He was imprisoned for his pacifist activities during World War I.

Personal Life[edit]

Russell's personal life was marked by a series of marriages and relationships. He was married four times and had several children. His views on marriage and sexuality were considered radical for his time.

Legacy[edit]

Russell's influence extends beyond philosophy and logic. He was a prolific writer and a popularizer of philosophy, making complex ideas accessible to the general public. His book A History of Western Philosophy remains a popular introduction to the subject.

References[edit]

Bertrand,

 A History of Western Philosophy, 
  
 Simon & Schuster, 
 1945,

Ray,

 Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude, 
  
 Free Press, 
 1996,

External Links[edit]

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-[[file:Bertrand_Russell_1949.jpg|thumb|Bertrand Russell 1949]] [[file:Bertrand_Russell_in_1876.jpg|thumb|Bertrand Russell in 1876|left]] [[file:Pembroke_Lodge,_Richmond_Park.jpg|thumb|Pembroke Lodge, Richmond Park]] [[file:Portrait_of_Bertrand_Russell_in_1893.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Bertrand Russell in 1893|left]] [[file:National_Committee_of_the_No-Conscription_Fellowship_May_1916.gif|thumb|National Committee of the No-Conscription Fellowship May 1916]] [[file:Russell_with_John_and_Kate.jpg|thumb|Russell with John and Kate]] {{short description|British philosopher, logician, and social critic (1872–1970)}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
+{{Infobox person
-{{Infobox philosopher
+| name = Bertrand Russell
-| region           = Western philosophy
+| image = Bertrand_Russell.jpg
-| era              = 20th-century philosophy
+| caption = Bertrand Russell in 1957
-| image            = Bertrand Russell 1957.jpg
+| birth_date = {{birth date|1872|5|18}}
-| caption          = Russell in 1957
+| birth_place = [[Trellech]], [[Monmouthshire]], [[Wales]]
-| name             = Bertrand Arthur William Russell
+| death_date = {{death date and age|1970|2|2|1872|5|18}}
-| birth_date       = {{birth date|1872|5|18|df=y}}
+| death_place = [[Penrhyndeudraeth]], [[Wales]]
-| birth_place      = [[Trellech]], [[Monmouthshire]], [[Wales]]
+| nationality = [[British]]
-| death_date       = {{death date and age|1970|2|2|1872|5|18|df=y}}
+| occupation = [[Philosopher]], [[logician]], [[mathematician]], [[historian]], [[writer]], [[social critic]]
-| death_place      = [[Penrhyndeudraeth]], [[Merionethshire]], [[Wales]]
+| notable_works = ''[[Principia Mathematica]]'', ''[[A History of Western Philosophy]]''
-| school_tradition = [[Analytic philosophy]]
-| main_interests   = [[Logic]], [[philosophy of mathematics]], [[epistemology]], [[metaphysics]], [[ethics]], [[political philosophy]]
-| notable_ideas    = [[Russell's paradox]], [[Theory of descriptions]], [[Logical atomism]], [[Russell–Einstein Manifesto]]
-| influences       = [[Gottlob Frege]], [[John Stuart Mill]], [[David Hume]], [[Immanuel Kant]], [[G. E. Moore]]
-| influenced       = [[Ludwig Wittgenstein]], [[A. J. Ayer]], [[Karl Popper]], [[Noam Chomsky]], [[Willard Van Orman Quine]]
 }}
-'''Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell''' (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a [[British]] [[philosopher]], [[logician]], and [[social critic]]. He is widely considered one of the founders of [[analytic philosophy]] and is best known for his work in [[mathematical logic]] and [[philosophy of mathematics]]. Russell was also a prominent [[anti-war activist]] and a leading figure in the [[campaign for nuclear disarmament]].
+'''Bertrand Arthur William Russell''' (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a [[British]] [[philosopher]], [[logician]], and [[social critic]] best known for his work in [[mathematical logic]] and [[analytic philosophy]]. He was a prominent [[public intellectual]] and a leading figure in the development of [[20th-century philosophy]].
 == Early Life and Education ==
-Russell was born in [[Trellech]], [[Monmouthshire]], [[Wales]], into an aristocratic family. He was educated at home by a series of tutors and later attended [[Trinity College, Cambridge]], where he studied [[mathematics]] and [[philosophy]]. His early influences included [[John Stuart Mill]] and [[David Hume]].
+Russell was born into an aristocratic family in [[Trellech]], [[Monmouthshire]], [[Wales]]. He was the grandson of [[John Russell, 1st Earl Russell]], who was twice [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]. Russell was educated at [[Trinity College, Cambridge]], where he studied [[mathematics]] and [[philosophy]].
-== Academic Career ==
+== Philosophical Work ==
-Russell's academic career began with his work on the foundations of mathematics. His collaboration with [[Alfred North Whitehead]] resulted in the monumental work ''[[Principia Mathematica]]'', which aimed to derive all mathematical truths from a set of axioms using [[symbolic logic]]. This work laid the groundwork for much of modern [[logic]] and [[philosophy of mathematics]].
+Russell is best known for his work in [[logic]] and the philosophy of [[mathematics]]. His most significant contribution is the co-authorship of ''[[Principia Mathematica]]'' with [[Alfred North Whitehead]], a landmark work in formal logic. Russell's work laid the foundation for much of modern [[analytic philosophy]].
-== Philosophical Contributions ==
+=== Logic and Mathematics ===
-Russell made significant contributions to a variety of philosophical fields:
+Russell's work in logic and mathematics was groundbreaking. He developed the theory of [[types]] to resolve the [[paradoxes]] in [[set theory]], such as [[Russell's paradox]]. His work in this area influenced the development of [[computer science]] and [[artificial intelligence]].
-* '''[[Russell's paradox]]''': A fundamental problem in set theory that revealed inconsistencies in naive set theory.
+=== Analytic Philosophy ===
-* '''[[Theory of descriptions]]''': A theory in the philosophy of language that addresses how we refer to objects in the world.
+Russell was a leading figure in the development of [[analytic philosophy]], which emphasizes clarity and logical rigor. He was a proponent of [[logical atomism]], a theory that the world consists of logical "atoms" or facts that cannot be broken down further.
-* '''[[Logical atomism]]''': A philosophical belief that the world consists of logical "atoms" or facts that cannot be broken down further.
-== Political and Social Activism ==
+== Social and Political Activism ==
-Russell was an outspoken critic of [[imperialism]] and [[totalitarianism]]. He was an advocate for [[socialism]] and [[pacifism]], and he opposed both [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. In 1955, he co-authored the [[Russell–Einstein Manifesto]], which called for the reduction of nuclear weapons and greater international cooperation.
+Russell was also known for his social and political activism. He was an outspoken critic of [[war]] and [[imperialism]], and he advocated for [[nuclear disarmament]]. He was imprisoned for his pacifist activities during [[World War I]].
 == Personal Life ==
-Russell's personal life was marked by numerous relationships and marriages. He was married four times and had several children. His autobiography, published in three volumes, provides a detailed account of his life and thoughts.
+Russell's personal life was marked by a series of marriages and relationships. He was married four times and had several children. His views on [[marriage]] and [[sexuality]] were considered radical for his time.
 == Legacy ==
-Russell's work has had a lasting impact on various fields, including [[philosophy]], [[logic]], [[mathematics]], and [[social theory]]. He was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1950 for his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.
+Russell's influence extends beyond philosophy and logic. He was a prolific writer and a popularizer of philosophy, making complex ideas accessible to the general public. His book ''[[A History of Western Philosophy]]'' remains a popular introduction to the subject.
-== Related Pages ==
+== See Also ==
-* [[Analytic philosophy]]
 * [[Principia Mathematica]]
+* [[Logical atomism]]
 * [[Russell's paradox]]
-* [[Theory of descriptions]]
+* [[Analytic philosophy]]
-* [[Logical atomism]]
-* [[Russell–Einstein Manifesto]]
+== References ==
-* [[Nobel Prize in Literature]]
+* {{Cite book | last=Russell | first=Bertrand | title=A History of Western Philosophy | publisher=Simon & Schuster | year=1945 }}
+* {{Cite book | last=Monk | first=Ray | title=Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude | publisher=Free Press | year=1996 }}
+== External Links ==
+* [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/russell/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Bertrand Russell]
+* [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bertrand-Russell Encyclopædia Britannica: Bertrand Russell]
-== Categories ==
 [[Category:1872 births]]
 [[Category:1970 deaths]]
 [[Category:British philosophers]]
 [[Category:British logicians]]
-[[Category:British socialists]]
-[[Category:British anti-war activists]]
 [[Category:Analytic philosophers]]
-[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]]
+[[Category:Mathematical logicians]]
-[[Category:Nobel laureates in Literature]]
+[[Category:Social critics]]
+[[Category:Trinity College, Cambridge alumni]]
 [[Category:People from Monmouthshire]]
-{{Analytic-philosopher-stub}}