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Birth Under Acrimonious Circumstances
Bertrand Arthur William Russell was born on 18 May 1872 in Trellech, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. His early life was antithetical to what one would define as idealistic. Russell, by the age of 3, had become an orphan losing his Mother to bacterial infection and his Father to bronchitis. Both were stark atheists, and they were also considered to be radical during their era. Upon their deaths, Russell was brought to London to be raised by his paternal grandparents. -
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Russell's Life (pre 1903)
In this period of time, Russell starts to find solace in the study of mathematics. Russell recants that this period of his life was full of sadness, and he was able to find an escape starting with Geometry (learning from his brother Frank). Capitalizing on his newfound passion, he was accepted into Trinity College in Cambridge. It was Trinity College where Russell met and befriended Albert North Whitehead. The significance of this collaboration led to the landmark Principia Mathematica (1910) -
Principles of Mathematics (1903)
Watch " Mathematics- Russell's Paradox"
https://youtu.be/GpVRePLMLbU Russell's Principles of Mathematics was the introduction of the famous "Russell's Paradox" and the thesis that mathematics and logic are identical to each other. Consider this document to be like an original draft of a movie script. Russell had no intention of releasing this document. Consider Principia Mathematica to be the trilogy (this one was for everyones' eyes). -
Russell (1903-1910) and the Publishing of Principia Mathematica (1910, 1912, 1913)
You know you've become a major public figure when you run for Parliament, feature in fantasy novels by T.S. Eliot, and you are Second in line for Third Earl of the Estate. Principia Mathematica were publications designed to make logical truth out of a wide variety of statements, which could be used for literal statements if you substituted the variables. It was a very interesting concept because its objective was to solve the natural world using basically an early method evident in programming. -
Logical Atomism (1918).
In a complex world of logical "atoms", Russell creates logically complex "entities", which are also constructions from logic objects capable of "sensibilia" (i.e Sense-Makers, human beings). Here, we observe logic being used as a tool for answering issues within the Natural World. Russell takes his own work and tries to solve philosophy like simple math. Russell's work continued to have an influence on even his contemporaries like Ludwig Wittgenstein, who served as a contributor, as well. -
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Post Writings and Death.
At this point, Russell begins to visit the US and hold lectures in Chicago. Why? He was fired from his job at Trinity College and fined for having expressed, in writing, an anti-war sentiment. Furthermore, his British Passport application was denied limiting his job options in the UK. With plenty of funding from his class status as newly anointed 3rd Earl and no options in his native land, Russell experienced a revival in America. He continued to be critical of war until his death in 02 FEB 1970
