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    The Problems With Philosophy
    The Problems With Philosophy
    The Problems With Philosophy
    Audiobook4 hours

    The Problems With Philosophy

    Written by Bertrand Russell

    Narrated by James Langton

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    About this audiobook

    The Problems of Philosophy' discusses Bertrand Russell's views on philosophy and the problems that arise in the field. Russell's views focus on knowledge rather than the metaphysical realm of philosophy. 'The Problems with Philosophy' revolves around the central question that Russell asks in his opening line of Chapter 1 - Is there any knowledge in the world which is so certain that no reasonable man could doubt it? He examines this question by delving into the idea of reality versus appearance, as for Russell and other philosophers who share his ideas it is sensory perception of the world around them that shapes their knowledge. It is in this work that he discusses his idea of sense-data to help explain the differences between appearance and reality. 'The Problems of Philosophy' is Russell's first attempt at recording and working through a theory of epistemology, which is the theory of the nature of human knowledge.
    Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was an English philosopher, logician, mathematician, social critic, and historian. He is remembered as being a leader in the British revolt against idealism, as well as a founding father of the field of analytic philosophy. He was also well known for his very public anti-war and anti-imperialist stances.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAscent Audio
    Release dateOct 12, 2012
    ISBN9781469085623
    Author

    Bertrand Russell

    Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was born in Wales and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. His long career established him as one of the most influential philosophers, mathematicians, and social reformers of the twentieth century.

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    Reviews for The Problems With Philosophy

    4/5

    43 ratings11 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Russel confines himself in epistemology. He discuss the problem of knowledge and the conditions by with it can be achieved. The concept of truth is examined, with emphasis in the realist position. Truth as coerency is also mentioned. The author exposes his ideas about the meaning and purpose of philosophy. Good work that deals with importants philosophical problems.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      In Problems of Philosophy Russell attempts to create a brief and accessible guide to the problems of philosophy. He introduces important theories of Plato, Aristotle, René Descartes, David Hume, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, Georg Hegel and others to lay the foundation for philosophical inquiry. The Theory of Knowledge occupies a larger space than metaphysics in the present volume, and some topics much discussed by philosophers are treated very briefly, if at all. Still this volume is a must read for anyone wishing a better understanding of philosophy.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      A mis titled book - rather, Some Problems of Philosophy of the late 19th and early 20th century, Many of Which Have Been Addressed.

      Discusses epistemology, absolutes, a priori and a posteriori knowledge, truth and falsehood. It does these very well. A quite reasonable introduction on basic problems.

      But it's still very interesting, and Russell is one of the most readable of the philosophers. Dare I say it, his style actually flows well.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Definitely a brain-builder.
    • 5/5
      Mr. Russell’s thoughts are in such order. So pleasing as they unfold. The reader made me that Mr. Russell was speaking to me.
    • 2/5
      I no longer care to even try to understand this stuff. Asking questions that have no answer is not my idea of a good time. UNCLE!
    • 3/5
      An excelent snapshot of a change in epistomlogical direction almost 100 years ago. It's not an easy read for beginners (some background is needed, and the language somewhat archaic to the Nintendo generation) nor is it very general as an introduction nor too relevant for modern thinking; it's history more than anything.
    • 3/5
      Brilliant, but in the sense of clever. I never have a sense of depth when reading Russell. Life's deeper questions were actually not questions at all, so let us get on with our lives. No wonder that D. H. Lawrence and Wittgenstein accused Russell of living a life of merely superficiality. There was an Edwardian air about Russell to the end of his long life, that if only the world listened to an enlightened gentleman like himself, all its problems would be solved. That the world's problems might be deeper than that (read any of the contemporary critiques of civilization - Left or Right, secular or religious - written during the same decades), seemed to have escaped him. I imagine Russell meeting the likes of Hobbes or Pascal or Machiavelli (those who saw through human vanity) and saying:"Dear fellow, I think I find a flaw in your reasoning." I suppose an ugly truth about human nature would not count as a truth at all for Russell.Wittgenstein thought highly of Kierkegaard, and Spengler suited his Austrian end-of-empire view after World War I. I do like Russell's view of Marxism: a religion with a chosen people, a holy book and a prophet, which likewise he could not believe.Enough of Philosophy! Now I'll put my Soothsayer hat on. I'm going to make a prediction. There will be wars in the future. There will be corruption. There will be a market crash. There will be crimes of passion. There will be moments of selfless bravery. X Factor will always be rubbish. I am not a Supreme Being, but the predictions above are startlingly accurate. If we can agree that humans are predictable and will cause these events to happen then isn't this just a psychological exercise designed to seek out those who think they are mavericks? This is just a question of specifics-how predictable are humans? I've already predicted a bunch of stuff, it's the detail of where/when where I fall down. But I've still made predictions based on human nature and Simon Cowell. Is that so hard?It reminds me of that joke:"Would you sleep with me for £10 million?""Yes.""Would you sleep with me for a fiver.""Hell no, what kind of person do you think I am?!""I've already ascertained the kind of person that you are, now I'm just trying to determine the degree."Boomboom
    • 1/5
      I had some issues really getting into this book.

      Maybe it's just that it was a dry writing style, or maybe it's that it doesn't seem to be a good starting point for someone who wants to learn about philosophy. But it took many weeks to get through what is actually a short book.

      It does have some good points, like at the end (at least in the Amazon free e-book) recommending other philosophers to read. And it tries to tie in analogies to history and to Othello (which I also haven't read.)

      In college I took a logic class, and despised it. Too much emphasis on the fallacy of "I have a cat, it is grey, therefore all cats are grey" thing. You'll see that in here too, although in a cat-free setting.

      Lots of people think this guy is almost Godlike, but it's hard for me to agree yet. In time, I'll probably read another Russell text, but not anytime soon.
    • 4/5
      It took me a few months to finish, but the book gets easier as you read on. Russell does a great job building the foundation to be able to fully support his conclusion in the final chapter. We should all be reading books like this to stave off the dumbening of society.
    • 5/5
      This was my first book on philosophy, I read just before I started studying the subject at university. I highly recommend it as the best introduction to "the general endeavor of philosophy as I see it".