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Bertrand Russell
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Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, was an English philosopher, logician, mathematician, and public

1872 – 1970United KingdomContribution: 1910

Introduction

Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, and political activist. He is best known for his work in mathematical logic and analytic philosophy, including his role in the development of modern logic and set theory.

Key Achievement

Made contributions to computer science with his work on mathematical logic (example: truth function). Introduced the notion of type theory. He also introduced type system (along with Alfred North Whitehead) in his work, Principia Mathematica.

Biography

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, was an English philosopher, logician, mathematician, and public intellectual. He influenced mathematics, logic, set theory, and various areas of analytic philosophy.

Notable Works

The Principles of Mathematics

Other

1903

The Problems of Philosophy

Other

1912

Principia Mathe

Other

1917

Justice in war time

Other

1917

Proposed Roads to Freedom

Other

1919

Marriage and Morals

Other

1929

In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays

Other

1935

Power: A New Social Analysis

Other

1938

A History of Western Philosophy

Other

1945

Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits

Other

1948

Human society in ethics and politics

Other

1954

My Philosophical Development

Other

1959

The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell

Other

1967

Wisdom of the West

Other

Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy

Other

Did You Know?

  • He went to prison for his pacifism during the First World War, and he initially supported appeasing Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany, before changing his view in 1943, describing war as a necessary "lesser of two evils".

Awards

De Morgan Medal1932
Sylvester Medal1934
doctor honoris causa from the University of Aix-Marseille1947
Nobel Prize in Literature1950
Kalinga Prize1957
Sonning Prize1960
Jerusalem Prize1963
Medal Carl von Ossietzky
Fellow of the Royal Society

Institutions

London School of Economics and Political Science

University of California, Los Angeles

Harvard University

University of Chicago

Education

University of Cambridge

Trinity College

Influences