| Bertrand
Arthur William Russell (b.1872 - d.1970) was a British
philosopher, logician, essayist, and social critic, best known for
his work in mathematical logic and analytic philosophy. His
most influential contributions include his defense of logicism
(the view that mathematics is in some important sense reducible to
logic), and his theories of definite descriptions and logical
atomism. Along with G.E. Moore, Russell is generally
recognized as one of the founders of analytic philosophy.
Along with Kurt Gödel, he is also regularly credited with being
one of the two most important logicians of the twentieth century.
Over the course
of his long career, Russell made significant contributions, not
just to logic and philosophy, but to a broad range of other
subjects including education, history, political theory and
religious studies. In addition, many of his writings on a
wide variety of topics in both the sciences and the humanities
have influenced generations of general readers. After a life
marked by controversy (including dismissals from both Trinity
College, Cambridge, and City College, New York), Russell was
awarded the Order of Merit in 1949 and the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1950. Also noted for his many spirited
anti-war and anti-nuclear protests, Russell remained a prominent
public figure until his death at the age of 97. |
