Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Arthur William Russell lived from 1872 – 1970. He lived in the United Kingdom for all of his life. He is famous for his work in mathematical logic, and analytic philosophy. He became famous for co-authoring the book Principia Mathematica with Alfred Whitehead (SE of P).

Russell was born on May 18th, 1872, Ravenscroft, Trellech, Monmouth shire. He had two siblings, Frank and Rachel. Before the year of 1880, Russell’s grandfather, mother, and sister had died. His grandmother, Countess Russell, had taken him in and was a prominent figure in his early life (Wikipedia). In 1890, he begins to study at Trinity College, Cambridge (during his first year of college, he meets Alfred Whitehead), and in 1893, he completes college with a B.A. in mathematics. One year later, he marries Alys Persall Smith. After graduating college, he would become a lecturer at numerous colleges (SEofP).

In 1896, he was appointed lecturer at the London School of Economics. He spent four years at the school, but in 1899 he would become a lecturer at Trinity College. He would stay at Trinity College for a short time, but then would be appointed a lecturer again in 1901. During his second time as lecturer at Trinity College, he would publish Russell’s Paradox (SEofP).

Russell’s Paradox had been “discovered” a year before him, but he was the first to publish it. The Paradox states:

“Let R be the set of all sets that are not members of themselves. If R is not a member of itself, then its definition dictates that it must contain itself, and if it contains itself, then it contradicts its own definition as the set of all sets that are not members of themselves” (Wikipedia).

The paradox, symbolically, is:

Many mathematicians tried to find a logical set to...

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...dest son John suffered from a serious mental illness. In 1961, Russell would be jailed, again, for protesting against the use of nuclear weapons (wiki Bertrand Russell).

In the final years of his life, Russell published a three volume auto biography. Most of Russell’s later life would not be focused on mathematics, but rather political issues. Russell would die on the 2nd of February, 1970, in this home in Penrhyndeudraeth, Merionethshire, Wales (wiki Bertrand Russell). Russell died at the age of 97. He would be cremated and there was no religious ceremony honoring him.

Russell lived a long and prosperous life. Russell was a very prominent public figure during his life, even to his death (plato.stanford.edu). He is considered one of the most important logicians of the 20th century, though his works ranged from mathematics, to science, to religion and language.