Bertrand Russell: Philosophy in an Hour: An Expert Non-Fiction Guide to Logic and Empiricism

by Paul Strathern

Philosophy for busy people. Read a succinct account of the philosophy of Russell in just one hour.

Bertrand Russell claimed to be driven by three great passions that drove his personal as well as his intellectual a longing for love, a quest for knowledge and a heart-rending pity for human suffering. His philosophical outlook, which took deep account of the science of his time, was nonetheless rooted in logic and empiricism. Russell’s greatest efforts were made in epistemology – the search for the ultimate grounds of our knowledge about the world. How can we be certain that what we know is true? Where lies the certainty in our experience of the world?

Here is a concise, expert account of Bertrand Russell’s life and philosophical ideas – entertainingly written and easy to understand. Also included are selections from Bertrand Russell’s work, suggested further reading, and chronologies that place Russell in the context of the broader scheme of philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, Biography

56 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Paul Strathern (born 1940) is a English writer and academic. He was born in London, and studied at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he served in the Merchant Navy over a period of two years. He then lived on a Greek island. In 1966 he travelled overland to India and the Himalayas. His novel A Season in Abyssinia won a Somerset Maugham Award in 1972.

Besides five novels, he has also written numerous books on science, philosophy, history, literature, medicine and economics.

Reviews

[BrokenTune · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the course of a public lecture, Russell claimed that it was not possible to break the rules of mathematics without disastrous consequences. Once a false mathematical statement was introduced, it was possible to prove anything.
At this point a voice from the back of the crowd interrupted him: ‘If two multiplied by two is five, then you must be able to show that I am the Pope. Prove it!’
Without hesitation Russell replied: ‘If two multiplied by two is five, then four equals five. Subtract three from both sides, then one equals two. But you and the Pope are two, therefore you and the Pope are one.’

This is a good and quick introduction to Bertrand Russel. However, because the book tries to combine biography, entertaining tid-bits, and philosophical theory - the investigation of Russell's work is really limited.

Still, a nice introduction.

[Tammam Aloudat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ebook sat on my ipad as my bedside reading for a couple of nights. And it is fun to read about Russell. This explains a lot of his tendencies and his writing which, if titles are seen on a library shelf, might seem completely random and unrelated. He has, after all, written the Principia Mathematica which hardly anyone can understand and the Problems of Philosophy which almost anyone can understand and everything in the middle. His writings are part sophisticated and original and part pop-philosophy and he wrote about a wide range of issues that, despite having some constant threads among them, can seem separated and incoherent. It is largely explained by Russell's long life but more so by a significant fact, HE WAS HUMAN! indeed more human than many of us can think of a philosopher being. After all, the philosophers of old we only understand in rigid writings and marble busts in museums; this one is a live, have been on television and radio, ran a school, marched in protests, went to an actual modern day prison, fell prey to his desires, and did a lot of things we all do.
Having read some of Russell's work (Proposed roads to freedom, marriage and morals, a history of Western philosophy, and a couple more), what gives me comfort in this small volume is knowing that he was a person of principles who broke his principles regularly, he was against marriage in principle and got married twice? three times? not sure anymore and other things like that. Looking at Russell's life, and ignoring that he as a white descendent of English nobility is hardly a representative of the regular person, it is comforting to know that we are neither weaker nor more fallible than one of the greatest philosophers of the past century.

[Tarek Amr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book as its name implies that it will be about Russell's philosophy, but it ended up being a biography book.

[Shahin Hojabrian]

Well written, short and suffice.

[Srividya Vijapure · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to Bertrand Russell, his life and his philosophy.

[Bells · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are so bad for beginners in my opinion

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav · Rating 4 out of 5]

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)( there should be more quotes @ the end of = the specific author & more points on the philosophical positions = said person = has layed out thought there body of work )(

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To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

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“Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. And between the two my life flows.” Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

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" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

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Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

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[Darjeeling · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Universe is a jelly. Or a bucket of shot. It's one or the other. Probably. Not all cats are female.

"Dora was a radical feminist who declared that her aim in life was to have children. These would be brought up entirely by their mother, there being no place for a father in such matters. 'Well, who ever I have children with, it won't be you!" replied Russel. It was perhaps inevitable that they would marry. But this would not happen for 2 years. During this period, they remained together and both travelled to see the new Bolshevik Russia. When the revolution had broken out in 1917 it had inspired Russel to believe that at last a just society might be established somewhere on Earth. He departed for Russia with high hopes, as a member of a Labour Party delegation, most of whose delegated regarded themselves as pilgrims going to witness the new era. In recognition of his philosophic eminence, Russel was granted a private audience with Lenin. The British philosopher was unimpressed by the leader of the revolution and horrified by what he saw of it's effects, especially among starving peasants in the countryside. Dora, who travelled on a different itinerary, and saw Lenin address a crowded meeting, returned ecstatic."

[Max Alletzhauser · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Wittgenstein episode: so was it a rhinoceros or a hippopotamus then?

[Vincent V · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are worth everybody's time.

[Greg K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some info in Russel’s biography, and very little on his philosophy. They weren’t kidding about the hour though.