Bertrand Russell 1872 – 1970
Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and political activist whose work is foundational to 20th-century analytic philosophy. With Alfred North Whitehead he co-authored Principia Mathematica, which sought to derive all of mathematics from logic, and his work on the theory of descriptions and logical atomism shaped much of analytic philosophy that followed. His shorter writings, including The Problems of Philosophy, A History of Western Philosophy, and many essays on religion, education, and politics, made him one of the most widely read philosophers of his era. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 in recognition of his varied and significant writings. He was a prominent public intellectual, pacifist, and campaigner for nuclear disarmament throughout his long life.
Key facts
- Nationality
- British
- Era
- Contemporary
- Movements
- Analytic
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Bertrand Russell:
“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.”
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Attributed to Bertrand Russell:
“Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.”
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Attributed to Bertrand Russell:
“The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.”
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Attributed to Bertrand Russell:
“To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.”
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Attributed to Bertrand Russell:
“It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true.”