Bertrand Russell
One hundred and fifty years ago, one of the most original minds was born: Bertrand Arthur William Russell was a mathematician, logician, philosopher, free thinker... His writings earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950! His scientific work is colossal. With his accomplice Alfred Whitehead, he gave body to logicism, this school of thought aimed at making the foundations of mathematics rest on logic. His philosophical work is even more considerable. Russell never hesitated to rise against religious, moral or economic dogmas, which he saw as so many shackles from which societies and individuals are prisoners.
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Bertrand Russell: a man of letters and numbers | Tangente
At 78, too old for a Fields Medal, and with no prize specifically devoted to philosophy, the mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell was awarded the 1950 Nobel Prize in Literature, much to his surprise.
A graphic novel on the foundational crisis | Tangente
Logicomix is a graphic novel centered on Bertrand Russell.
Bertrand Russell's politically engaged writings | Tangente
Bertrand Russell's literary writings range widely; they are tinged with philosophy, politics, and sociology. What unites them is that they all have a message to convey.
A mathematical critique of liberalism | Tangente
In our "modern" and "civilized" societies, some workers are overwhelmed with work while a whole section of the population is shut out of employment. Is this situation inevitable? Bertrand Russell dismantled certain dogmas of economic liberalism point by point and showed that other models of society are possible.
Wittgenstein and Russell at Cambridge | Tangente
Born in Vienna in 1889, Ludwig Wittgenstein began studying mechanical engineering in 1906. Drawn to mathematics, he initially explored its applications before becoming fascinated by Russell's writings.
Russell: logic, faith and reason | Tangente
A free thinker, Bertrand Russell made no secret of his agnosticism and did not hesitate to criticize religion. He deplored the fact that people's reasons for embracing faith had little to do with rational argument. In his view, hatred of reason seems to be a constant throughout human history.
Alfred Whitehead, Russell's collaborator | Tangente
Russell's fame has overshadowed Whitehead's immense contribution to the development of logicist theories. The two men wrote the Principia Mathematica together.
A genius off the beaten track
In the scientific world, Bertrand Russell is known first and foremost as a logician and philosopher. His contribution cannot be understood without grasping the major shift then taking place in the development of mathematics: this was the era of the "foundational crisis."
Bertrand Russell: A century of passionate living | Tangente
Bertrand Russell was no ordinary mathematician. His Nobel Prize in Literature attests to the breadth of his talents. His advocacy of sexual freedom and his campaigning for peace gave this exceptional man his full stature.