Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), born in Wales, was a British philosopher who is best known for his work in mathematical logic, analytic philosophy. He was also a noted social critic. His most influential contributions include his work in logicism – the view that mathematics can be reduced to logic), his refinement of Gottlob Frege’s predicate calculus, his defense of neutral monism, and his theories of definite descriptions in logic.
Along with G.E. Moore, Russell is widely considered to be one of the founders of modern analytic philosophy. His famous paradox, theory of types and work on Principia Mathematica had a significant impact on the study of logic throughout the twentieth century, and are all examples of his profound influence on the field of mathematics other than philosophy.
Russell was a prominent figure in the analytic movement in Anglo-American philosophy, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Russell’s work in logic, epistemology, and the philosophy of mathematics has been highly influential in the 20th century. To the general public, he was best known for his work as a peace activist and as a writer on social, political, and moral topics. He published more than 70 books and 2,000 articles during a long, productive life. He also married four times and became embroiled in many public controversies. He was honored and reviled in almost equal measure throughout the world.
Russell’s early life was marked by a number of tragedies. At six years old, his sister, Rachel, his parents, and his grandfather all died, leaving him and his step-grandfather, Frank, all alone. Though Frank was educated at Winchester School, Bertrand was educated privately at home, and this was a regretful aspect of his childhood. At an early age, he became interested in mathematics and found the experience of learning Euclidean Geometry at the age of 11 to be very exciting because it introduced him to the intoxicating possibility of demonstrable knowledge. This led him to hope that all knowledge could be provided with such secure foundations, a hope that lay at the heart of his motivations as a philosopher.
The philosopher’s early philosophical work reflects his teenage years of questioning and skepticism about Christianity, and his work eventually led him to abandon his faith. In 1890, Russell’s life of isolation ended when he entered Trinity College, University of Cambridge, to study mathematics. He made lifelong friends through his membership in the famously secretive student society the Apostles, which included some of the most influential philosophers of the day.
Inspired by his discussions with this group, Russell abandoned mathematics for philosophy and was awarded a fellowship at Trinity on the strength of a thesis entitled “An Essay on the Foundations of Geometry,” which was published as his first philosophical book later in 1897. This work presents a sophisticated idealist theory of geometry, which views it as a description of the structure of spatial intuition.
In 1896, Russell published his first political work, German Social Democracy, followed by more essays on political philosophy before he abandoned his idealism. The decade was followed by some his most prominent works in combining logic and mathematics, and several theories arguing monism.
Russell was active in promoting peace and opposing conscription during World War I. His activities caught the attention of the British authorities, who regarded him as a threat. He was twice taken to court, the second time receiving a six-month sentence at the end of the war. After campaigning against the war, in 1916 Russell was dismissed from his lectureship at Trinity College, and later returned to the position after many years of working as a journalist and writing on socialism.
Russell dedicated his final years to protesting the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. The sight of Russell at an advanced age participating in protests and inciting young people to stand up for their rights inspired a new generation of admirers. The admiration of the British legal system only increased when in 1961 Russell was sentenced to a second period of imprisonment.
Russell’s death in 1970 marked the end of an era, as he was better known for his work in the antiwar movement than as a philosopher of mathematics. In retrospect, however, we can see that it is for his tremendous contributions to philosophy, mathematics, and political theories, that he is remembered.
