Repairing Bertrand Russell's 1913 Theory of Knowledge

This book revives the Theory of Knowledge research program of Russell's Principia era, endorsing the revolution within mathematics as a study of relations. It addresses the impasse of acquaintance epistemology and defends the facts about Principia, making it a viable option for studies of modality and entailment.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 397 pages
Publication date: 24 January 2023
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book is a comprehensive revival and repair of the Theory of Knowledge research program that originated during the Principia era of Russell's philosophy. Chapter 1, titled "Introduction and Overview," provides a clear agenda for the program, drawing inspiration from the non-Fregean logicism of Principia Mathematica. It advocates for a revolutionary shift within mathematics, presenting it as a study of relations. The synthetic a priori logic of Principia is considered the essence of philosophy as a science, unveiling the dogmatisms about abstract particulars and metaphysical necessities that create mental prisons. This philosophy can be traced back to earlier works such as The Problems of Philosophy, where the program initially embraced a multiple-relation theory of belief. However, it reached an impasse in 1913, when it was retrofitted with abstract particular logical forms to address problems of direction and compositionality.

In response to this impasse, Scientific Method in Philosophy emerged as the sequel to The Problems. Chapter 2 delves into Russell's intellectual dishonesty, highlighting Wittgenstein's insistence that logic should exclude nonsense belief. The 1919 neutral monist era followed, but Russell struggled to find an epistemology that was essential to philosophy within the framework of logic. Chapters 4 through 6 of the book serve as a repair, resolving the impasse and providing a new epistemological framework. Chapters 3 and 7, on the other hand, vigorously defend the facts about Principia, emphasizing its enduring relevance and universality as a universal logic above the civil wars of metaphysicians.

While the program has undergone significant revisions and advancements, studies of modality and entailment remain viable, and Principia continues to serve as a foundational resource for philosophers engaged in the study of knowledge.

Weight: 541g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030663582
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021