The Bloomsbury Companion to Bertrand Russell - (Bloomsbury Companions) by Russell Wahl (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A founder of modern analytic philosophy and one of the most important logicians of the twentieth century, Bertrand Russell has influenced generations of philosophers. The Bloomsbury Companion to Bertrand Russell explores this influence in detail and responds to renewed interest in Russell's philosophical approach, presenting the best guide to research in Russell studies today.

Bringing new insights into Russell's relationship with his contemporaries, a team of experts explore his life-long battles with important philosophical issues. They consider how he influenced thinkers and schools of thought, from Schröder, Frege and Meinong to Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle, while also covering his impact on individual issues in epistemology, logic, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and political philosophy. Importantly this companion discusses often overlooked topics. Focusing on Russell's later views, including his moral philosophy and his politics, reveals that Russell did make significant contributions to ethics - both theoretical and practical - in the course of his career.

Through a combination of enlightening historical background and sustained focus on Russell's impact on contemporary areas of philosophy, The Bloomsbury Companion to Bertrand Russell demonstrates why Russell continues to influence philosophers of language, mathematics, epistemology and metaphysics.

Review Quotes

"This Companion is a most welcome guide, both to the thought of Bertrand Russell himself, and also to the evolving ?elds of Russell scholarship and the history of analytic philosophy, at the points where the two intersect ... Every last essay is top-notch, and adds something new and interesting to our understanding of Russell's thought." --Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies

"The Bloomsbury Companion to Bertrand Russell is about both Bertrand Russell and his continuing influence. It contains enough history to situate the reader in Russell's intellectual era, but also enough contemporary philosophy to situate Russell in ours. There are chapters on Russell's connections to British idealism, Meinongianism, Wittegenstein, logical positivism and pragmatism. There are also chapters on contemporary issues in logic, epistemology, ethics, the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language. Anyone interested in contemporary debates surrounding the resurgence of neutral monism, logicism, foundationalism and error theory will be richly rewarded by revisiting Russell through this volume. Russell Wahl and his contributors are to be commended for showing us why Russell remains such a towering figure in philosophy today." --Andrew Irvine, Head of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada

"An excellent resource. Adroitly edited, the volume combines luminous discussions of central topics in Russell scholarship with insightful explorations of less frequently discussed topics. It manages to showcase the vibrant state of Russell scholarship while also containing much that will be of interest to the general philosophical reader." --Ian Proops, Professor of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin, USA

"The volume is admirably produced: well-researched, well-balanced and well-written. It contributes significantly to our understanding of one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century . . . it effectively summarizes practically every major line of investigation in recent Russell studies. I personally enjoyed reading the volume, including those chapters on which I made polemical remarks, and learned a lot from it. As readable as it is informative, the volume deserves a place high on the reading list of both the student new to Russell as well as the seasoned professional philosopher." --Notre Dame Philosophical Review

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