Topic > A report on the book The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

A discussion of truth and epistemological theory is what The Problems of Philosophy deliberates. Using analytical methods, Bertrand Russell makes distinctions regarding society's judgments of reality. Using radical Cartesian doubts in the introduction, Bertrand Russell focuses on society's knowledge of the physical world. Bertrand shares these beliefs about the table in his room, how he understands through his beliefs and what the table is for Bertrand. He notes that his table is composed of matter and that there is a way to possess knowledge of it. Bertrand says that seeing his table implies awareness of something, an oval brown spot that he calls "sense data." Sensory data must therefore be considered as a sign of the existence of physical objects and, starting from experience, to arrive at the physical world, society practices a rational process of inference. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Countering idealism, Bertrand justifies the reality of the particular and universals using a view that what is known must also be, in some sense, something mental. Universals are used to summarize particulars that are tangible things and are found in a single place at a single time. Universals are features such as whiteness or relations that allow Russell to have causal, temporal, and spatial relations. However, while idealists are concerned about most things, Russell claims to equate the "object" of sense data with the "act" of sensation. Russell believes he knows his sense data through knowledge and his table, an important physical object through description. This differentiates knowledge by description and knowledge by acquaintance. He claims that we learn our sense data only automatically and therefore have direct knowledge. There are two types of terminology used in the theory of descriptions used for an object, their name and definite definitions. The main example cited above by Russell is "Bismarck" or "The First Chancellor of the German Empire". Using definitions we will identify and appreciate things we do not recognize allowing us to have indirect knowledge of things. Through the theory of truths, Russell argues for our natural tendencies and discusses intuitions. Therefore, facts, propositions, and finally complexes containing universals with particulars are the logical construction intrinsic to Russel's theory. There are truths that we usually think about: they are outside of human consciousness. Ideas, particulars and universals are connected in ideas through propositions that are an indication of a complex philosophical concept of meaning. The use of propositions typically incorporates statements about objects and connections between them. If it is adequately structured with particulars and universals, a proposition will constitute knowledge. This type of relationship is obvious to Russell, but can be complicated in technical terms. According to Russell's philosophy, a real proposition is a relation between a belief and a truth. There is a clear theme within the book that often provides an important account of a priori knowledge. Russel argues for a Platonic approach to universals that are more like Platonic “ideas.” He further states that it is possible to have no understanding of a single example of a universal and yet know that very universal. In turn, making the a priori knowledge comprehensible to that same individual. Furthermore, Russell argues, in addition to our experience arising from knowledge, we can also have principles.