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Bertrand Russell

バートランド・ラッセル

Bātorando Rasseru

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1872-05-18 （Trellech, Monmouthshire, England (historic)）
Died
1970-02-02 （Penrhyndeudraeth, Merionethshire, Wales） age 97
Nationality
British
Languages
English
Religion
Atheist / Agnostic
Residence History
Richmond Park (childhood) → Cambridge (education and academic posts) → London (long-term residence) → Penrhyndeudraeth (later life)

Career

Occupations
philosopher, logician, mathematician, writer, public intellectual
Active Years
1893-1970
Affiliations
Trinity College, Cambridge, London School of Economics, University of Chicago (visiting), UCLA (visiting)
Memberships
Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
Influenced By
Gottlob Frege, A. N. Whitehead, G. E. Moore, John Stuart Mill, Gottfried Leibniz
Influenced
Ludwig Wittgenstein, generations of analytic philosophers, logicians and foundations of mathematics researchers

Education

Trinity College, University of Cambridge
Mathematics / Philosophy (Mathematical Tripos) / Mathematics / Philosophy
Degree: BA (Fellowship later)
Period: 1890–1895 (学生・初期フェロー期)
Year of Graduation: 1893
Country: United Kingdom
Graduated with first-class honours in mathematics (1893); became a Fellow in philosophy (1895).

Awards

De Morgan Medal
1932
Organization: London Mathematical Society
Result: 受賞
Sylvester Medal
1934
Organization: Royal Society
Result: 受賞
Order of Merit (OM)
1949
Organization: British Monarchy
Result: 受章
Nobel Prize in Literature
1950
Work: varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought
Organization: Nobel Committee
Result: 受賞
Kalinga Prize
1957
Organization: UNESCO (Kalinga Prize committee)
Result: 受賞
Jerusalem Prize
1963
Organization: Jerusalem International Book Fair
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Principia Mathematica (with A. N. Whitehead)

1910 mathematical logic / scholarly 1200 pages

A three-volume landmark work by Russell and A. N. Whitehead aiming to reduce mathematics to logic; hugely influential in mathematical logic and foundations.

logicismsymbolic logicfoundations of mathematics

The Problems of Philosophy

1912 philosophy (introductory) 120 pages

An accessible introduction to key problems of philosophy, covering epistemology and theories of knowledge.

epistemologyanalytic philosophy

A History of Western Philosophy

1945 history of philosophy / general 800 pages

A sweeping account of Western philosophy from antiquity to the 20th century, linking ideas to historical context; became a bestseller.

history of philosophyideas and society

On Denoting (essay)

1905 philosophy essay 15 pages

A seminal essay on language and denotation; influential in the philosophy of language through its theory of definite descriptions.

philosophy of languagetheory of descriptions

Bibliography

  • German Social Democracy (1896)
  • An Essay on the Foundations of Geometry (1897)
  • The Principles of Mathematics (1903)
  • Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy (1919)
  • The Analysis of Mind (1921)
  • The Conquest of Happiness (1930)
  • The Impact of Science on Society (1951)
  • The Autobiography (Vols. 1–3, 1967–1969)

Adaptations

  • Cameo appearance in the Hindi film 'Aman' (1967)

Translations of Works

  • Japanese translations of 'A History of Western Philosophy' (multiple editions)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
clear and accessible proselogical and analytic
Recurring Motifs
foundations of logic and mathematicsfreedom of thought and humanitarian idealsrelationship between science and society

Health

  • depression (periods in life)
    幼年期〜青年期にかけて断続的に
    Early losses and depression affected his youth; he wrote that mathematics and books saved him from despair.
  • pneumonia (serious episode, early 1920s)
    1920s
    Caused temporary limitation of activities; at one point Japanese press mistakenly reported his death.
  • influenza (cause of death)
    1970年2月
    Died at home from influenza on 2 February 1970.

Legacy

One of the founders of analytic philosophy; influential in mathematical logic, philosophy of language, ethics and political activism; widely read through popular works.

Museums

  • Bertrand Russell Archive (research collections) William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University (Canada)

Academic Societies

  • Bertrand Russell Society

Archives

  • McMaster University Bertrand Russell Archive
  • Various public and private archives and collected papers

In Popular Culture

  • Portraits and quotations frequently cited in political and cultural debates
  • Influence visible in naming (e.g. Sheikh Russel) and popular references

Quotes

  • “in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought”
    Source: Nobel Committee (Nobel Prize in Literature citation, 1950) (1950)
  • “The Will to Doubt”
    Source: essays/lectures (1958)

Trivia

  • Survived the 1948 Hommelvik air crash as one of the survivors.
  • Made a cameo appearance as himself in the 1967 Hindi film 'Aman'.