Bertrand Russell and the Origins of Analytical Philosophy

Book excerpt: This collection of new essays from distinguished philosophers and Russell scholars from around the world seeks, in various ways, to explore Russell's own unique and enduringly important contribution to shaping the concerns and the methods of contemporary analytical philosophers. It includes both general discussions of the nature of analytical philosophy and minutely detailed analyses of Russell's own arguments, and covers the whole range of Russell's famously varied output, from his Essay on the Foundations of Geometry to his often neglected work on ethics. Taken together this collection shows us why Russell's work deserves to be reconsidered and provides essential guidelines as to the form that reconsideration should take. It will be read by all who seek to understand, not only Russell's contributions to the analytical tradition, but the nature of that tradition itself.