Bertrand Russell

[@judygoddard3869]

His popular essays are wonderful - wise, funny, cheerful, brave, compassionate, and written in a crystal clear prose that is a pleasure to read. Re-reading him is like meeting up with a much loved old friend.

[@nikolasmakiyavichi5928]

I read "The Problems of Philosophy" from Russel and liked it very much but didn't went on for reading more of his work. Now I'm curious. Thank you!

[@frederiquecouture3924]

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[@cosmicwakes6443]

Keep these biographies coming, I truly love it. That passage on death by Russell made me teary eyed. I can sense that Russell had a deep and profound love for humankind.

[@AtticPhilosophy]

Thanks, same here! His autobiography is a great read.

[@rastgo4432]

He's one of my heros that inspired me, hope you do more videos on famous philosophical figures and mathematicians. Thank you ❤️

[@AtticPhilosophy]

Same here, maybe my favourite historical philosopher. I’ll definitely do more videos like this!

[@frederiquecouture3924]

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[@frankavocado]

Cambridge University Press, which published the Principia, has its own small museum containing a letter from Russell querying how much he was being paid for the work. Everyone thought it would lose money. Russell originally paid 100 pounds of his own to get it published but the CUP ‘omitted’ to pay any royalties until the late 40’s, which, typically, was when Russell realised he might be owed something.

[@AtticPhilosophy]

I once tried to buy a copy, it was something like £100, and this was back in 1998!

[@johncrwarner]

@@AtticPhilosophy For getting a scholarship to Oxford my mother said she'd buy me a book and I asked for and got Principia Mathematica which cost over 100 GBP in early 1980

[@mtoufali]

Thank you for your videos. they are really exciting and clear. I end up watching this episode on Russell by following you on other videos about logic, language and Wittgenstein. My question on this that relates Russell and Wittgenstein their argument for and against the argument of a function. Can a function be its own argument ? Russell says yes but Wittgenstein says No Can you elaborate on this. Thank you again

[@filosofardeinmediato]

Animal filosófico! Tienes buen pelaje! Pura sangre

[@johncrwarner]

Whoops! I think you misspoke about the reason for leaving the Labour Party and that was that he thought Harold WILSON, the Labour Prime Minister of the time, not Harold Macmillan who was the conservative prime minister until 1963. I think it is really important to acknowledge he could write well and though his philosophical work was over by about 1912 he had a huge impact on later generations. I discovered him in the philosophy section of the public library when I was a teenager and he was one of the clearest writers I met. I read his "A History of Western Philosophy" and though very partial it was a gateway to other philosophers It is a book however I would say is a text I wouldn't start with of his.

[@AtticPhilosophy]

Ah yes, Wilson, this is why I should stick to my notes! His Problems of Philosophy was the first philosophy book that really worked for me - the problems came across so clearly & really grabbed me.

[@johncrwarner]

@@AtticPhilosophy As a philosophic work I would also true that his Problems of Philosophy is a more philosophical work rather than what he called a "social history" and has much more philosophical meat in it and it is shorter! My philosophical journey (as an amateur - I studied Quantum Chemistry at University and taught mathematics in schools) started with Machiavelli's The Prince so I came from a very different angle.

[@travisporco]

People always say that Principia Mathematica is not worth reading because the program was overthrown by Godel, but is that really true? Isn't type theory still valuable in many ways? Aren't the theorems proven in PM valid? Why shouldn't we study it?

[@AtticPhilosophy]

There's lots of good reasons to study PM. Mainly, to see what it achieves - an axiomatic reconstruction of huge parts of mathematics. And yes, type theory is hugely valuable in proof theory & theoretical computer science - although the modern version isn't exactly Russell's. But reading PM directly is very hard work, as most of it is just axiom-chopping. And often, with axiomatic proofs, it's enough to know that axioms X and Y prove Z - you don't need to see the whole 100-page proof!

[@travisporco]

@@AtticPhilosophy If there were a digitized version it is probably possible to electronically convert it to modern notation instead of the dots. That might ease the lift a little.

[@nisse91]

Look at us!

[@frederiquecouture3924]

Now, Young 🐥🐣🐥🐣🐣🐣🐣🐥. Now, what do you say?

[@WilfridSeibt]

A History of Western Philosophy is criminally bad

[@AtticPhilosophy]

Well, it’s definitely not the work of a historian, but it is interesting & introduced many people to philosophy, which can’t be a bad thing.

[@studiouspanda7183]

To know he was a Zionist is quite disappointing. What was his justification for taking the homes of Palestinians?

[@AtticPhilosophy]

“Zionism” can mean different things to different people. He supported the existence of Israel, but also was vocal in his criticism of Israel’s military aggression.

[@studiouspanda7183]

@@AtticPhilosophy can you explain the different things it can mean?

[@AtticPhilosophy]

@@studiouspanda7183 One is that there should be a permanent home for Jews, somewhere in the world. (That meaning was much more prominent when Russell was young, virtually lost now.) Another is that there should be a permanent home for Jews, specifically in historical Israel. Another is that the Israel of 1948 should be expanded. Another is that Israeli settlers can take land in the West Bank by whatever means. These are not the same, and the moral arguments are different in each case. I'm pretty sure Russell would have been horrified both by the Hamas attacks in Israel and by the Israeli siege of Gaza. He would likely have been one of the few prominent western voices calling for a ceasefire to avoid the humanitarian disaster.

[@frederiquecouture3924]

Press. F.

[@frederiquecouture3924]

No Foreskin Equals No Paradise.