Anthropological measurement of the history of philosophy by Bertrand Russell

Abstract

This article examines anthropological preferences in historical and philosophical work of the English philosopher and mathematician, public figure and logician, Bertrand Russell. The intellectual history of this English philosopher is closely linked to interpretations of those thinkers who were his teachers and who made an important impact on the development of his conceptions: G. F. Stout, James Ward, F. Pollock, B. Spinoza, J. Moore, L. Wittgenstein, G. Peano, G. Frege, A. Meinong, F. Brentano, H. Sidgwick, J. Bentham, T. Hobbes, and S. Freud. Special attention is given to the influence of Spinoza’s philosophy on Russell’s conceptual formations. In article reveals the field of philosophy in the perspective of its author; how does he recognize historicist of philosophy affair matter, what values does he uphold and etc. Anthropological reduction is analyzed in the history of philosophy is an attempt to give explanation to science, arts, religion, with the help of man’s culture and to understand human being on the basis of these formations, executed by him (science, culture, religion, arts). In the works Russell not only explains quite successfully all the philosopher was thinking of, but also the notions of what he, exactly thinks about each examined philosopher. All that contributed to Russell’s creating the style of reflection which G. Ryle named “thoughtless experimentation”.

Keywords:

anthropological measurement, history of philosophy, G. F. Stout, J. Ward, F. Pollock, B. Spinoza, J. Moore, L. Wittgenstein