Our Knowledge of the External World
In this book, Bertrand Russell explores the nature of knowledge and how it relates to the external world. He argues that our knowledge of the external world is limited by our senses and cognitive abilities, and that there are fundamental limitations to what we can know about the world. Russell challenges traditional notions of realism and empiricism, and offers a new perspective on the nature of knowledge and reality.
By Bertrand Russell · First published 1914 · Genre: Philosophy, Non-fiction, Epistemology · 8 chapters · 80,134 words
First lines
Philosophy, from the earliest times, has made greater claims, and achieved fewer results, than any other branch of learning. Ever since Thales said that all is water, philosophers have been ready with glib assertions about the sum-total of things; and equally glib denials have come from other philosophers ever since Thales was contradicted by Anaximander. I believe that the time has now arrived when this unsatisfactory state of things can be brought to an end. In the following course of lectures I shall try, chiefly by taking certain special problems as examples, to indicate wherein the claims of philosophers have been excessive, and why their achievements have not been greater.
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Our Knowledge of the External World is listed on Textopian as a speech by Bertrand Russell, dated 1914 CE.
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- Work type: Speech
- Author: Bertrand Russell
- Date: 1914 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Philosophy, Non-fiction, Epistemology, Educational, Metaphysics
- Length: 80,134 words
- Structure: 8 chapters, 681 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Philosophy — The book is a series of lectures by philosopher Bertrand Russell, making it fundamentally philosophical in nature.
- Non-fiction — The presentation of ideas and theories about the external world and our understanding of it classifies the book as non-fiction.
- Epistemology — Through its examination of how we know what we know about the outside world, the book deals with themes central to the field of epistemology.
- Educational — The book serves to educate readers about philosophical theories and concepts, placing it in the educational genre.
Tags
Philosophy · Metaphysics · Epistemology · Knowledge · Reality · Perception · Sense Perception · Mind · Thought · Belief · Truth · Justification
Contents
- CURRENT TENDENCIES
- LOGIC AS THE ESSENCE OF PHILOSOPHY
- ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD
- THE WORLD OF PHYSICS AND THE WORLD OF SENSE
- THE THEORY OF CONTINUITY
- LECTURE VI THE PROBLEM OF INFINITY CONSIDERED HISTORICALLY
- THE POSITIVE THEORY OF INFINITY
- ON THE NOTION OF CAUSE, WITH APPLICATIONS TO THE FREE-WILL PROBLEM