The Problems of Philosophy

Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, and Nobel Laureate. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist. He was born in Monmouthshire into one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the United Kingdom. In The Problems of Philosophy, written in 1912, Russell attempts to create a brief and accessible guide to the problems of philosophy. Focusing on problems he believes will provoke positive and constructive discussion, Russell concentrates on knowledge rather than metaphysics. He guides the listener through his famous 1910 distinction between "knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description" and introduces important theories of Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Locke, Kant, Hegel and others to lay the foundation for philosophical inquiry by general listeners and scholars alike.