Showing results by author "Bertrand Russell" in All Categories

The Problems of Philosophy discusses Bertrand Russell's views on philosophy and the problems that arise in the field. Russell's views focus on knowledge rather than the metaphysical realm of philosophy. The Problems with Philosophy revolves around the central question that Russell asks in his opening line of Chapter 1 - Is there any knowledge in the world which is so certain that no reasonable man could doubt it?

Remarkably relevant, beautifully written, and filled with wit and wisdom, these three essays by Bertrand Russell allow the listener to test the concepts of the good life, morality, the existence of God, Christianity, and human nature. "What I Believe" was used prominently in the 1940 New York court proceedings in which Russell was judicially declared "unfit" to teach philosophy at City College of New York. "Why I Am Not a Christian" concludes that churches throughout history have retarded progress and states that we should instead "look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in." Finally, "A Free Man's Worship", perhaps the most famous single essay written by Russell, considers whether humans operate from free will.

This metaphysical self-help classic instills happiness within and urges individuals to pursue a content life without sin, boredom, or contempt. Written decades ago with post-war depression in mind, this text has transcended time and continues to give applicable advice for modern-day individuals.

Dedicated as few men have been to the life of reason, Bertrand Russell has always been concerned with the basic questions to which religion also addresses itself - questions about man’s place in the universe and the nature of the good life, questions that involve life after death, morality, freedom, education, and sexual ethics. He brings to his treatment of these questions the same courage, scrupulous logic, and lofty wisdom for which his other work as philosopher, writer, and teacher has been famous.

A concise version of Bertrand Russell's political philosophy and thoughts, focusing on his favoring of guild socialism. While Russell believed that pure Anarchism should be the ultimate goal, his realism lead him to favor the guild socialism which he expands upon in this volume. Russell first discusses the various aspects of socialism, anarchism, and syndicalism, focusing also on the major men/movements associated with each school.

Although Bertrand Russell did most of his early work (along with his mentor and colleague Alfred North Whitehead) in mathematics, he had an enormously wide range of interests - from politics to sex education for the young. The following two essays - "Mysticism and Logic" and "Mathematics and the Metaphysicians" - provide listeners with a glimpse into Russell's thinking and, in turn, illuminates us about these deep subjects.

In Religion and Science (1961), Bertrand Russell's popular polemic against religious dogma, he covers the ground from demonology to quantum physics, yet concedes that science cannot touch the profound feelings of personal religious experience.

He details the issues that his current economic system and the unequal distribution of wealth present in achieving said ideals. He puts forth his beliefs on what the purposes of an economic system should be, including production and security. He criticizes monopolies and all the damage that they have done.

This pacifist manifesto was published in 1917, as the First World War was dragging to a close. The resolution of this catastrophic conflict resulted in a reconstruction of Europe, the fallout from which led to an even more cataclysmic war. Russell delineates the problem as being due to the institutionalizing of national hostilities and the consequent apportioning of blame among the warring parties. In his exposition Russell considers the roles played by a number of institutions, social and political, reserving some his sharpest criticism for organized religion.

These 15 lectures have been hailed as milestones in modern psychology as they explore the relation between mind and matter under a completely new scope. Living in the turbulent years after World War I and having been deeply influenced by realists and behaviorists of the early 20th century, Russell attempts to reconcile the paradoxical materialistic view of contemporary psychologists on mind with the anti-materialistic tendency that physicists adopt over matter.

One of the great minds of the 20th century, Bertrand Russell explored philosophy, mathematics, and a variety of other intellectual, political, historical, and social issues in his lifetime. In this indispensable and easily accessible guide, drawn from his books and essays, readers will find Russell’s fundamental principles, from objectivity to ontological arguments to logical certainty, in his own words. Russell also explored topics such as war, evil, and the purpose and goal of human existence.

The ABC of Relativity is still considered today, nearly 90 years after its first appearance, as an authoritative and accessible introduction to Einstein's Theory of Relativity. While there's nothing particularly easy about understanding the Theory of Relativity, many have found that Russell's explanation is easier to understand than Einstein's own writings on the topic. Russell covers topics such as time dilation and curved space-time, using non-scientific examples of train travel and aerial views of the terrain.

After teaching as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Beijing for the year 1920, Bertrand Russell penned The Problem of China, in which he describes China's past and present, opening on the country's possible future. Written 100 years ago, the work is demonstrative of the philosopher's insight and analysis of both the West and the East. His cautionary advice and predictions of the potential future of China are uncanny in their accuracy.

Russell once said, "Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric." His views on religion in general, and on Christianity in particular (as in this work), were considered "eccentric" by many of his contemporaries. So were his views on sex, which figures frequently as an example of the misery that Christian leaders and thinkers inflict, and for which he was often vilified. The lectures in this collection leave no doubt about his views on these and related subjects.

Bertrand Russell was a firm believer in Communism, noting that the greatest fault of the capitalist system is not the concentration of money, but of power. The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism, written following a trip to Soviet Russia in 1920, reflects his observations of the Bolshevik approach to this ideal.

The Analysis of the Mind by Bertrand Russell is a collection of 15 lectures he delivered in 1920. Russell was a highly reputed philosopher, mathematician, and social critic, and would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.

Russell's The Problems of Philosophy, first published in 1912, is both a primer for the philosophy-curious and the practicing philosopher. He introduces his readers to his thoughts on the difference between knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description, and asks the question: If we cannot be certain that external objects exist, how can we then have knowledge of them but by probability? There is no reason to doubt the existence of external objects simply because of sense data. 

Bertrand Russell (May 18, 1872 - February 2, 1970) was born in Monmouthshire into one of the most prominent anti-war aristocractic families in Britain. Russell was a philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, prominent anti-war activist, and an outspoken opponent of nuclear weapons. In 1950, Russell was awarded the Nobel prize in Literature. The following is a 1959 speech on nuclear disarmament.

Nobel per la letteratura 1950. "Oso sperare che qualcuno, in mezzo alla moltitudine di uomini e di donne che soffrono di infelicità senza goderne, possa trovare qui diagnosticato il suo caso e, in pari tempo, qualche suggerimento sul metodo da seguire per guarirne. È nella convinzione che, mediante sforzi ben indirizzati, molti infelici possano liberarsi della loro infelicità e diventare felici, che ho scritto questo libro."

Als einer der Väter der Analytischen Philosophie, hat Bertrand Russell eine Fülle von Essays verfasst, die sehr entschieden seine Meinung präsentieren und trotz seiner akademischen Formulierungen allgemeinverständlich bleiben. In dem von Norbert Hülm gelesenen Werk "Unpopuläre Betrachtungen" findet sich eine Sammlung seiner Aufsätze, die populär wurden. Die enthaltenen Essays stellen Russell deutlich als den klaren Denker und großen Stilist dar, der er war. Russells Analysen zu folgen ist nicht nur sehr unterhaltsam, es regt auch zum Nachdenken an.