Did Russell experience an epiphany in 1911?

Authors

  • Alan Kenneth Schwerin Associate Professor of Philosophy, Monmouth University, New Jersey, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2019v23n1p1

Abstract

Bertrand Russell’s conception of philosophy evolved dramatically in 1911 — the year he fell in love with Lady Ottoline Morrell. For many years Russell had been an ardent advocate of the view that philosophers ought to look for truths that are certain. The co-author of Principia Mathematica altered his commitment to certainty in philosophy in 1911. An analysis of his published views and correspondence from this time strongly suggests that the radical transformation was induced by an epiphany brought about by his emotional entanglement with his lover.

Author Biography

Alan Kenneth Schwerin, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Monmouth University, New Jersey, USA

Associate Professor of Philosophy, past President of the Bertrand Russell Society and author of 36 international articles in Philosophy. I am the author or editor of nine books, including my last book on Hume, Hume's Labyrinth: A search for the self.

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Published

2019-04-26

Issue

Section

Articles