Bertrand Russell
Introduction
Bertrand Russell was one of the preeminent thinkers of the 20th century. His work on mathematical logic laid the basis for a good portion of modern mathematics; his political thought was influential both in his time and after; and his philosophical thought is both complicated and highly intelligent. He is considered one of the two or three most important logicians of the 20th century. During his lifetime he was a high profile figure and grew to have a high degree of respectability -- in fact, he died at age 97, in 1970, so during his own lifetime he saw his own fame grow to immense proportions. He also fits Howard Gardner's ideas on genius in many ways, although not all of them, as we shall see.
But Bertrand Russell the man was a fascinating study also. Wracked with internal doubts, he created an immense burden on those he was closest to, yet astonished all with his prodigious intelligence; alternately cheerful and suicidally depressed, Russell swung between manic joy and bleak misanthropy. His was an immensely fascinating life.
Thus, I have chosen in this study of Russell to look at both aspects of his life -- his work, and his personality and the events in his life, so as to further illuminate this fascinating individual.
Russell's Ideas
Russell's areas of interest were interlinked: mathematical and logical, exemplified by the Principia Mathematica and works on such subjects as logical atomism; philosophical; and political, with his strong commitment to anti-war ideals and his ideas on ideal governments.
Russell was, early on in life, fascinated by geometry -- in fact, he found an inherent beauty in it. He approached everything in life analytically, and of course mathematics ...
... middle of paper ...
... pleasant, possibly because Russell had known Edith for a number of years before marrying her.
Russell continued to be active during the last couple of decades of his life. He took part in anti-nuclear rallies, met with heads of states to discuss policies, and served as president of the british Who Killed Kennedy? organization.
On February 2, 1970, Bertrand Russell died, a couple of months before his 98th birthday. He had lived an astonishingly full and complex life, as well as having had an enormous impact on the world around him. As Russell biographer Ronald Clark notes, "When he was born, the old queen still had three decades to lord it over palm and pine; when he died, men had walked on the moon." In many ways, Russell cohered to the ideas that Gardner has set forth about creative genius, but this doesn't mean that Russell lived a usual or average life.
Alexander Hamilton was born on the island of Nevis of the British West Indies January eleventh in 1757. He lived with his brother and a single mother. In 1772, Hamilton moved to the United states. He entered the Continental Army in 1776 as the captain of artillery while in New York where he also studied law at King’s College. He was married to Elizabeth Schuyler in 1780. Elizabeth was from a wealthy land holding family, this helped Alexander hold ties to rich and powerful leaders in New York. Alexander Hamilton died in 1804 on July 12. Aaron Burr was the man who killed him in a duel because Mr. Hamilton help Thomas Jefferson win the election for becoming the 3rd president of the United States.
...hat he formed to control smuggling, which has since grown and evolved as the United States coast guard (Mitchell 181). Hamilton has made many lasting contributions to help the development of the United States economy. Hamilton wanted an industrialized economy. To help achieve this he supported taxes on foreign goods, encouraging growth of American Industry. Through supporting tariffs on foreign goods, Hamilton supported economic infrastructure, and advocated a nationally directed, controlled economy, in the interest of foreign enterprise (Morris 130). Hamilton clearly envisioned the nations potential as an economic power, and took great impetus in shaping economic infrastructure.
Alexander Hamilton was born a bastard child in the West Indies and demonstrated great intellectual potential at an early age. He was sent to New York City for schooling and studied at King’s College, now Columbia University. His vision of America took a more capitalistic tone and “he was determined to transform an economically weak and fractious cluster of states into a powerful global force” (Tindall & Shi, 2010). Hamilton advocated a strong central government. He was bold and persuasive and his philosophies quite extraordinary for his time.
I have tried not to simply re-write what Russell has said, but rather endeavoured to explain, in an original way, each part of Russell's theses, and in the order that they are found in the article.
Alexander Hamilton was born as a British subject on the island of Nevis in the West Indies on the 11th of January 1755. His father, James Hamilton -- Scottish merchant of St. Christopher – was the younger son of a minor Scottish noble. His mother, Rachel Fawcett Levine was married a Danish proprietor of St. Croix named John Michael Levine. Ms. Levine left her husband John and was later divorced from him on June 25, 1759, two years after Alexander was born. His parents soon separated. However, Alexander grew up with his mother and his brother James, living on the ragged edge of poverty. He had no further contact with his father, and when his mother died in 1768, he became an orphan at the age of 11 (Hamilton).
William Lyon Phelps, an American educator, journalist, and professor, believed, “If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything, including those things that other people are certain are impossible.” Phelps believed that certainty is the key to overcoming the impossible. He believed that absolute certainty and confidence in oneself will allow one to accomplish anything he or she put her mind to. It is common for underdogs in different competitions to side with Phelps because they are told that it is impossible for them to win. These competitors use the doubters claims as fuel to motivate themselves and become absolutely certain that they can and will overcome the impossible. On the other hand, Bertrand Russell stated, “I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt.” Russell, a British author, mathematician, and philosopher. believed that doubt will allow to people to adjust their opinions and envision what their decision may or may not lead to. He believed that nothing is ever truly certain; therefore, there would always be a period of doubt in the decision-making process. This view was extremely common in the minds of people in scientific or academic fields because they know that in the process of perfecting an idea includes multiple trials, errors, and periods of
...e occurrence of death. Russell argued against life after death, while Hick argued in defense of it. Russell’s argument for life after death overall was emphasizing that not possible for one to continue to exist after death because death is simply the end. Hick’s argument in defense of life after death was discussed through his John Smith thought experiment and his insight on parapsychology.
can be so misunderstood stood and be a brilliant philosopher. After reading about him I
While Russell and I disagree on this aspect, there are others that we do agree on, such as his ideas on memory and how it affects our perspective on the present. I believe that this topic is far more difficult that basic metaphysical philosophy, and while the topic was difficult I found that it was an easier read than some metaphysical philosophers
work of a genius and the work of what he terms "a man of brains." (page
The philosopher Bertrand Russell in his work, “The Problems of Philosophy,” comes to some conclusions of the truth of objects in our world. Through questioning certain ideas and problems in our world, he breaks down what can know what really exists in the world and what does not.
I believe what he meant was if we just accept things as they appear to us without ever questioning anything, then we will live meaningless and miserable lives. In the article, Russell writes, “The life of the instinctive man is shut up within the circle of his private interests: family and friends may be included, but the outer world is not regarded except as it may help or hinder what comes within the circle of instinctive wishes,” I think this is his representation of the unexamined life. He also wrote, “In such a life there is no peace, but a constant strife between the insistence of desire and the powerlessness of will. In one way or another, if our life is to be great and free, we must escape this prison and this strife” I think that what he meant by this is that if we want our lives to be meaningful and pleasant, then we must study philosophy. The only way that our lives can be “great and free” is to question everything and accept nothing
Those who know Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy, or the shorter Wisdom of the West, will remember his great difficulty in focusing on (French) Existentialism as a form of philosophy at all.