Bertrand Russell on Knowing

Abstract

Widely published analyses of the nature of knowledge were produced by Bertrand Russell. Russell’s views are of interest in the present context by being an expression of the views of a highly acclaimed logician. In fact, Russell and Whitehead’s Principia Mathematica, first published in 1910, is generally considered to be a milestone in the development of mathematical logic. Thus if anywhere, in Russell’s writing on knowing we may expect to find a coherent presentation of human knowing viewed as a matter of logic. In addition, since Russell was well acquainted with James and his work the relation of the point of view of a logician to that of the psychologist may be expected to be well clarified in Russell’s writings.