Book Description
Immensely intelligible, thought-provoking guide by Nobel prize-winner considers such topics as the distinction between appearance and reality, the existence and nature of matter, idealism, inductive logic, intuitive knowledge, many other subjects. For students and general readers, there is no finer introduction to philosophy than this informative, affordable and highly readable edition that is "concise, free from technical terms, and perfectly clear to the general reader with no prior knowledge of the subject."—The Booklist of the American Library Association.

ANNOTATION

An intelligible and stimulating guide to those problems of philosophy that he believes will provoke positive and constructive discussion.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Bertrand Russell was one of the greatest logicians since Aristotle, and one of the most important philosophers of the past two hundred years. "The Problems of Philosophy," one of the most popular works in Russell's prolific collection of writings, has become core reading in philosophy. Clear and accessible, this little book is an intelligible and stimulating guide to those problems of philosophy which often mistakenly make the subject seem too lofty and abstruse for the lay mind. Focusing on problems he believes will provoke positive and constructive discussion, Russell steers the reader through his famous 1910 distinction between "knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description," and introduces important theories of Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Hume, Locke, Plato, and others to lay the foundation for philosophical inquiry by general readers and scholars alike. With a new introduction by John Perry that places Russell's writing in its historical and philosophical milieu, this valuable work will continue to stimulate philosophical discussion as it has done for nearly forty years.

SYNOPSIS

The Problems of Philosophy is one of the first concrete expressions of analytic philosophy, and it is, in fact, the first book of analytic philosophy whose main focus is central questions of epistemology and metaphysics, two of the main branches of philosophy. But best of all, it's a book that can be read for pleasure as well as profit by the general public, undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional philosophers. Almost alone among philosophical books of the first quarter of the twentieth century, it's read and studied today, both inside and outside the classroom.

About the Author:
Bertrand Russell was educated at home until he was eighteen, and then he went to Cambridge to study mathematics and philosophy. Russell, however, is much more than a figure in the history of philosophy. He was the second son in an aristocratic and political family, and he frequently championed liberal causes and actively participated in political affairs. He was twice jailed for his anti-war activities and spent six months in prison during World War I for an inflammatory pamphlet he had written. He also wrote books on a number of topics of general cultural interest, including history, education, marriage, and happiness.

FROM THE CRITICS

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