Russell, Bertrand A. W. (Bertrand Arthur William)
Our Knowledge of the External World as a Field for Scientific Method in Philosophy
Preface -- Current tendencies -- Logic as the essence of philosophy -- On our knowledge of the external world -- The world of physics and the world of sense -- The theory of continuity -- The problem of infinity considered historically -- The positive theory of infinity -- On the notion of cause, with applications to the free-will problem.
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"Our Knowledge of the External World as a Field for Scientific Method in Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell is a philosophical treatise written in the early 20th century. The work explores the limitations and potentials of the logical-analytic method in philosophy, aiming to ground philosophical inquiry in scientific principles and objective knowledge. Russell's central focus is on the relation between sensory data and the concepts in mathematical physics. The opening of the text introduces the context for Russell's lectures, where he seeks to establish the importance of a rigorous scientific method in philosophical practice. He evaluates the historical claims made by philosophers about the nature of reality and knowledge, critiquing them for their often excessive ambitions and inadequate results. By doing so, he highlights the need for philosophy to evolve alongside the advances in scientific understanding, employing logic and analysis to tackle complex problems that were previously considered unsolvable. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 54.4 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
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