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Birth
Bertrand Russell was born on May 18, 1872, in Wales to an influential and aristocratic family. His parents were considerably liberal for the time.
Russell's Contributions to Philosophy of Science -
"On Denoting" is Published
"On Denoting" was published in 1905 in the philosophy journal "Mind". This essay became the basis for his theory of descriptivism. He said "denoting phrases ... never have any meaning in themselves, but every proposition in whose verbal expression they occur has a meaning." Russell, Bertrand (October 1905). "On Denoting". Mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press on behalf of the Mind Association. 14 (56): 479–493. -
Principia Mathematica Vol. I Published
Russell published Principia Mathematica Vol. I in collaboration with A.N. Whitehead in 1910. Vol. II followed in 1912 and Vol. III in 1913. These volumes were written as a defense to logicism, which is the notion that mathematics is an extension of, or reducible to logic. Linsky, Bernard and Andrew David Irvine, "Principia Mathematica", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), -
Logical Atomism Published
Logical Atomism as a phrase to describe a concept was introduced by Russell in 1911 and was used as a phrase by him in the 1910s and 1920s. However, his essay "Logical Atomism" was published in 1924. Logical Atomism is the notion that ideas can only be broken down to a certain point before reaching the logical facts that the world is comprised of. Russell, Bertrand, et al. The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell. Routledge, 2009. -
A History of Western Philosophy
This book was widely sold and still is today. While many praised it as entertaining and accessible to all, some felt it did not give proper treatment to many of the topics it covered. Russell, Bertrand, et al. The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell. Routledge, 2009. -
Death
Russell died of influenza on February 2, 1970.