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Philosophical Analysis of the Concept of Reality in Bertrand Russell’s Philosophy
Raphael Olisa Maduabuchi, Innocent Anthony Uke
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5313/2021.11.008
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Nigeria
The quest to understand and explain the ultimate nature of reality is a recurring problem in the history of Philosophy. All attempts to give credible answers by philosophers have led to so many divergent metaphysical and epistemological theories, some of which are not only opposing but also conflicting. Like Wittgenstein, Bertrand Russell believes that mathematical logic could reveal the basic structure of reality, a structure that is hidden beneath the cloak of ordinary language. By his new logic, he showed that the world is made up of simple or “atomic” facts, which in turn are made up of particular objects. Atomic facts are complex, mind-independent features of reality. Both Russell and Wittgenstein held that the basic propositions of logic, which Wittgenstein called “elementary propositions” refer to atomic facts. There is thus an immediate connection between formal languages, such as the logical system of Russell’s Principia Mathematica (written with Alfred North Whitehead and published between 1910 and 1913), and the structure of the real world. Elementary propositions represent atomic facts, which are constituted by particular objects, which are the meaning of logically proper names. Russell differed from Wittgenstein in that he held that the meanings of proper names are “sense data”, or immediate perceptual experiences, rather than particular objects. Thus, this study is geared to x-rays Russell’s theory of reality in order to ascertain the tenability of his philosophy and its contemporary relevance.
ultimate, reality, mathematical, logic, structure, language, world, atomic and facts
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