The Problems of Philosophy

The Problems of Philosophy  (1912)  by Bertrand Russell

Chapter 1: Appearance and reality→

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Title page.

Preface

In the following pages, I have confined myself in the main to those problems of philosophy in regard to which I thought it possible to say something positive and constructive, since merely negative criticism seemed out of place. For this reason, theory of knowledge occupies a larger space than metaphysics in the present volume, and some topics much discussed by philosophers are treated very briefly, if at all.

I have derived valuable assistance from unpublished writings of G. E. Moore and J. M. Keynes: from the former, as regards the relations of sense-data to physical objects, and from the latter as regards probability and induction. I have also profited greatly by the criticisms and suggestions of Professor Gilbert Murray.

Table of contents

• Chapter 1: Appearance and reality
• Chapter 2: The existence of matter
• Chapter 3: The nature of matter
• Chapter 4: Idealism
• Chapter 5: Knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description
• Chapter 6: On induction
• Chapter 7: On our knowledge of general principles
• Chapter 8: How a priori knowledge is possible
• Chapter 9: The world of universals
• Chapter 10: On our knowledge of universals
• Chapter 11: On intuitive knowledge
• Chapter 12: Truth and falsehood
• Chapter 13: Knowledge, error, and probable opinion
• Chapter 14: The limits of philosophical knowledge
• Chapter 15: The value of philosophy

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1923. The author died in 1970, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 30 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.