Bertrand Russell’s Dictionary of Mind, Matter and Morals presents a collection of Russell’s thoughts on a wide array of philosophical, ethical, and societal topics. The text offers definitions and discussions, ranging from abstract concepts like asymmetry and continuity to concrete issues like civilization, communism, and education. Russell explores the ideas of other philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, and Spinoza, offering his own perspective on their work. The dictionary format allows for concise yet insightful examinations of complex subjects. The book also includes an index of symbols denoting the abbreviated titles of books and essays by Russell. Overall, the document presents a comprehensive overview of Bertrand Russell’s philosophical and moral beliefs. The dictionary’s entries also offer insights into logic, psychology, history, and politics, showcasing the breadth of Russell’s intellectual interests.

A Study Guide to Bertrand Russell’s Dictionary of Mind, Matter, and Morals

I. Key Concepts Review

A. Russell’s Philosophical Stance

Scientific Philosophy: Russell aimed for a philosophy grounded in definite knowledge and open to revision based on new discoveries. He favored clarity and detailed analysis over profound but unclear statements.
Changing Opinions: Russell openly acknowledged that his philosophical views evolved over time, similar to how scientific understanding progresses. He did not claim to hold eternal truths but rather sensible opinions for the time they were expressed.
Distinction Between Doubtful Problems and Exactness: Russell differentiated between areas where emotion must have its place and areas of exactness where pure thought can disport itself in freedom.

B. Mind and Matter

Behaviorism: Russell acknowledges it contains much truth, and that the knowledge to be obtained by this method, so long as we take physics for granted, is self-contained, and need not, at any point, appeal to data derived from introspection. Nevertheless, he holds that there are such observations and that there is knowledge which depends upon introspection.
Mind as a Construct: The concept of “mind” emerges from complex interactions of compresent events within the brain. A mind is a track of sets of compresent events in a region of space-time where there is matter which is peculiarly liable to form habits
Matter as Events: Russell viewed matter not as a static substance but as a system of events in spacetime. This challenges the traditional view of matter as something that persists through time and space.

C. Knowledge and Belief

Belief: A state of mind or body, or both, in which there is a disposition to behave in ways that aim at results which it would attain if certain circumstances existed.
Ostensive Definition: Definition by frequently hearing the word when the object which it denotes is present.

D. Ethics and Morality

Desires and Ethics: Ethical systems reflect the desires of their proponents. Moral improvement comes from cultivating generous desires through intelligence, happiness, and freedom from fear.
Supreme Moral Rule: To act so as to produce harmonious rather than discordant desires.
Expansive and Repressive Impulses: Russell believed morality should be based on expansive impulses like love, curiosity, and constructiveness, rather than repressive ones like fear and cruelty.

E. Society and Politics

Civilization: Russell defined civilization as a manner of life based on knowledge and forethought, involving the pursuit of objects not biologically necessary for survival.
World Citizenship: With increased global interconnectedness, Russell advocated for a revival of world citizenship.
Federalism: Favored a hierarchical system from world government to local councils, emphasizing self-determination for local matters and neutral authority for conflicting interests.
Liberty: Believed that the liberty of the individual should be respected where his actions do not directly, obviously, and indubitably do harm to other people.
International Police: Believed it necessary to prevent the lawless use of force by separate states

F. Logic and Mathematics

Logical Atomism: Russell’s philosophy, emphasizing piecemeal, detailed analysis over large, untested generalities.
Disjunction: A disjunction is the verbal expression of indecision, or, if a question, of the desire to reach a decision.

II. Quiz: Short Answer Questions

According to Russell, what is the role of clarity in philosophical thought?
Explain Russell’s view on the evolution of philosophical opinions.
Describe Russell’s understanding of the relationship between mind and brain.
How did Russell define “civilization,” and what are its key components?
Summarize Russell’s argument for reviving the doctrine of world citizenship.
Explain the principle of federalism as advocated by Russell.
What is the supreme moral rule according to Russell?
Differentiate between “expansive” and “repressive” impulses, according to Russell, and explain their importance for morality.
What is Russell’s view of matter?
Why did Russell think logic and mathematics were important?

III. Quiz Answer Key

Clarity is Russell’s paramount aim in philosophy. He values clear statements, even if disproven later, over ambiguous pronouncements.
Russell believed philosophy should be scientific, with opinions changing as new knowledge becomes available. He saw no shame in revising his views.
Russell viewed the mind and brain not as distinct entities, but that when we speak of a mind we are thinking chiefly of the set of compresent events in the region concerned, and of their several relations to other events forming parts of other periods in the history of the spatio-temporal tube which we are considering, whereas when we speak of the brain we are taking the set of compresent events as a whole, and considering its external relations to other sets of compresent events, also taken as wholes.
Russell defined civilization as a manner of life due to the combination of knowledge and forethought. It involves the pursuit of objects not biologically necessary for survival, and an awareness of one’s place in time and space.
Russell believed that world citizenship is necessary given increasing global interconnectedness. He notes that it promotes understanding and prevents the happiness of one from being built on the ruin of another.
Russell advocated for a hierarchical federal system from world government to local councils. The general principle should be to leave to smaller bodies all functions which do not prevent the larger bodies from fulfilling their purpose.
The supreme moral rule, according to Russell, is to act so as to produce harmonious rather than discordant desires. The goal is to apply this wherever a man’s influence extends: within himself, in his family, his city, his country, even the world as a whole, if he is able to influence it.
Expansive impulses, such as love and curiosity, promote a richer and freer life. Repressive impulses, like fear and cruelty, diminish life. True morality consists in living by the expansive impulses.
Russell viewed a piece of matter as a system of events. If the piece of matter is to be as small as possible, these events must all overlap, or be “compresent.”
Russell thought mathematics has the advantage of teaching you the habit of thinking without passion. He thought you learn to use your mind primarily upon material where passion doesn’t come in, and having trained it in that way you can then use it passionlessly upon matters about which you feel passionately.

IV. Essay Questions

Discuss Bertrand Russell’s concept of “scientific philosophy.” How does it differ from traditional philosophical approaches, and why did he advocate for it?
Explore Russell’s views on the relationship between mind and matter. How did he challenge traditional dualistic perspectives, and what alternative did he propose?
Analyze Russell’s ethical framework. How did he connect desires, ethics, and morality, and what implications does this have for individual and social behavior?
Examine Russell’s political philosophy. How did he balance individual liberty with the need for social order and international cooperation, and what specific solutions did he propose?
Evaluate Russell’s concept of civilization. What are its essential characteristics, and how can societies strive to achieve it?

V. Glossary of Key Terms

Behaviorism: A philosophical approach that emphasizes external observation as the primary method for understanding human behavior, minimizing the role of introspection.
Civilization: A manner of life characterized by knowledge, forethought, and the pursuit of objects beyond mere biological necessity.
Compresence: The relation between two or more qualities when one person experiences them simultaneously (e.g., seeing a color and hearing a sound at the same time).
Determinism: The hypothesis that there are discoverable causal laws, such that, given sufficient powers of calculation, a man who knows all that is happening within a certain sphere at a certain time can predict all that will happen at the center of the sphere during the time that it takes light to travel from the circumference of the sphere to the centre.
Disjunction: The verbal expression of indecision, or, if a question, of the desire to reach a decision
Federalism: A political system that divides powers between central and local governing bodies, allowing self-determination for local matters while addressing conflicting interests through a neutral authority.
Logical Atomism: A philosophical approach that analyzes complex concepts and propositions into their simplest, most fundamental components.
Ostensive Definition: Definition by frequently hearing the word when the object which it denotes is present.
World Citizenship: The idea that individuals have responsibilities and allegiances that extend beyond national boundaries to encompass all of humanity.
International Police: An international authority that can maintain and enforce order
Sentences, Molecular: Sentences containing conjunctions, conceived as the “p” and “q” which are conjoined being conceived as the “atoms.”
Mind: A track of sets of compresent events in a region of space-time where there is matter which is peculiarly liable to form habits.
Expansive Impulses: Emotions such as hope, love of art, impulse of constructiveness, love, affection, intellectual curiosity, and kindliness, that make more of life instead of less.
Repressive Impulses: Emotions such as cruelty, fear, and jealousy.
Supreme Moral Rule: To act so as to produce harmonious rather than discordant desires.

Russell’s Dictionary: Mind, Matter, and Morals Explained

Okay, here’s a briefing document based on the provided excerpts from Bertrand Russell’s “Dictionary of Mind, Matter and Morals.”

Briefing Document: Bertrand Russell’s Dictionary of Mind, Matter and Morals

Overview:

This document summarizes key themes and ideas found in the provided excerpts from Bertrand Russell’s “Dictionary of Mind, Matter, and Morals.” The dictionary, edited by Lester E. Denonn, presents an alphabetical compilation of Russell’s thoughts on a wide range of philosophical, scientific, and ethical subjects. Russell emphasizes clarity, a scientific approach to philosophy, and a willingness to revise opinions in light of new knowledge.

Key Themes and Ideas:

Evolution of Philosophical Views: Russell acknowledges changing his opinions over time, seeing it as a positive reflection of intellectual growth and adaptation to new knowledge, similar to scientific progress.
“I am not myself in any degree ashamed of having changed my opinions. What physicist who was already active in 1900 would dream of boasting that his opinions had not changed during the last half century? In science men change their opinions when new knowledge becomes available…”
He distinguishes his approach from theology, where doctrines are considered immutable.
Clarity and Analysis: Russell prioritizes clear and accurate thinking over profound but vague pronouncements. He values detailed analysis as the means to advance philosophical understanding.
“Clarity, above all, has been my aim. I prefer a clear statement subsequently disproved to a misty dictum capable of some profound interpretation which can be welcomed as a “great thought.” It is not by “great thoughts,” but by careful and detailed analysis, that the kind of technical philosophy which I value can be advanced.”
Limitations of Knowledge and the Role of Emotion: Russell recognizes areas where exact knowledge is lacking and where emotion necessarily plays a role. He advocates for a clear distinction between these domains.
“I will not deny, however, that there are regions as yet inaccessible to exact knowledge and yet of such practical importance that we cannot be content merely to suspend judgment… But I make always in my thought a sharp distinction between the doubtful problems in which the emotion must have its place and the happy realms of exactness where pure thought can disport itself in freedom.”
Behaviorism: While not fully endorsing it, Russell sees merit in the behaviorist method of external observation in understanding human beings.
“I do not fundamentally agree with this view [Behaviorism], but I think it contains much more truth than most people suppose, and I regard it as desirable to develop the behaviourist method to the fullest possible extent.”
He believes knowledge obtained through this method is self-contained, requiring no appeal to introspection, but simultaneously asserts there is knowledge dependent on introspection.
Birth Control: Russell strongly advocates for birth control, particularly to prevent the suffering of children born into poverty or with inherited diseases. He condemns moralists who oppose contraception, prioritizing abstract principles over human well-being.
“To please these moralists, a life of torture is inflicted upon millions of human beings who ought never to have existed, merely because it is supposed that sexual intercourse is wicked unless accompanied by desire for offspring…”
Civilization: Russell defines civilization as primarily characterized by forethought and knowledge, distinguishing it from mere biological survival. He also notes how civilization has become a pursuit of objects not biologically necessary for survival.
“First of all, what is civilization? Its first essential character, I should say, is forethought… We may then define civilization as: A manner of life due to the combination of knowledge and forethought.”
“What is called civilization may be defined as the pursuit of objects not biologically necessary for survival.”
Genuine culture is described as being a citizen of the universe and understanding human society as a whole.
Compresence: This is defined as the relation which holds between two or more qualities when one person experiences them simultaneously.
Definitions: Two types of definitions are identified, denotational and structural. Denotational defines an entity as the only one having a certain relation to known entities.
Desires and Ethics: Russell posits that all ethical systems are rooted in the desires of their proponents. He suggests that moral improvement comes from cultivating large and generous desires through intelligence, happiness, and freedom from fear.
“All systems of ethics embody the desires of those who advocate them… It is, in fact not by ethical theory, but by the cultivation of large and generous desires through intelligence, happiness, and freedom from fear, that men can be brought to act more than they do at present in a manner that is consistent with the general happiness of mankind.”
Determinism: Russell provides a complex definition of determinism, suggesting the possibility of predicting future events within a certain sphere, given sufficient knowledge and computational power.
Education: Russell promotes cultural exchange as a tool to diminish prejudice.
Federalism: He suggests a hierarchical structure of governance from world government to local councils.
Force: The entire concept of “force” is considered a mistake.
God: Russell presents arguments against the existence of God.
Habit: All kinds of matter, especially nervous tissue, are liable to form habits.
Impulses: Two kinds of impulses exist, possessive and creative/constructive. Russell suggests life should allow for free play of impulses that aren’t destructive or injurious. He contrasts repressive and expansive emotions, advocating for the latter as essential to true morality. Predatory impulses are identified as the cause of fear and a barrier to international cooperation.
Infinity: Russell credits Dedekind and Cantor with discovering a precise definition of an infinite number or collection of things.
Internationalism: Advocating for world citizenship as a practical necessity.
Liberty: Russell argues for respecting individual liberty except when actions directly harm others. He emphasizes the need for a supernational authority to prevent aggressive war and advocates for the reign of law.
Logical Atomism: This is a philosophical approach that scrutinizes mathematics and focuses on piecemeal, verifiable results rather than untested generalities. It is an approach that maintains there are many things and denies there is a whole composed of those things.
Mankind: Russell hopes for mankind to be terrified into sanity and tolerance by the hydrogen bomb.
Mathematics: Mathematics teaches one to think without passion.
Matter: Matter is described as a system of events. Every living thing seeks to transform its environment into itself and its seed.
Mind: Russell defines the “mind” as constructed out of habits, a track of sets of compresent events in a region of space-time where there is matter prone to form habits.
Moral Rules: Supreme moral rule is to act to produce harmonious rather than discordant desires.
Nationalism: Russell considers nationalism a development of herd-instinct, and he defines a nation as a group defined geographically.
Philosophy: Philosophy can provide exact thinking habits and give an impersonal breadth to conceptions of life.
Reverence: Reverence emphasizes respect for the liberty of others, sympathy, and tenderness.
Scientific Spirit: This is neither skeptical nor dogmatic and believes the truth is discoverable though not discovered.
Sentences: These are needed to express suspended reactions.
Shrewdness: This belongs more to the unconscious than the conscious.
Stoicism: Russell recognizes the value of stoicism in dealing with misfortune, promoting fortitude.
Things: Things are defined as those series of aspects that obey the laws of physics.
Tolerance: Practicing tolerance, kindness, truthfulness and justice is needed in sexual relations, marriage and divorce.
Truth-Function: A function of propositions in which the truth or falsehood is known.
Universities: An international university should be built in neutral territory to create and diffuse an outlook to prevent war and promote loyalty to international ideals.
Unverifiable: “Verifiable” can mean something wider than things human beings experience and includes things inferred in accordance with recognized canons of scientific method.
Vice and Virtue: Virtue is defined as a habit tending to produce a good community, and vice as a habit tending to produce a bad community.
Will: Will is an observable phenomenon and not a faculty.
Words: Egocentric words have meanings according to the speaker and his position in time and space.
World Government: Russell emphasizes that only a world government can make world peace secure.

Conclusion:

These excerpts reveal Russell’s commitment to reason, clarity, and human well-being. His dictionary offers a wide-ranging exploration of complex topics, encouraging critical thinking and a scientific approach to understanding the world. His emphasis on tolerance, individual liberty, and international cooperation reflects his deep concern for the future of humanity.

Bertrand Russell’s Philosophy: Answering Common Questions

FAQ on Bertrand Russell’s Philosophy

What is Bertrand Russell’s attitude towards changing philosophical opinions?

Russell embraces the idea of changing philosophical opinions, comparing it to the evolution of thought in science. He believes that philosophy, when pursued scientifically, should be open to revisions based on new knowledge and discoveries. He was not ashamed of changing his mind, and would be surprised if subsequent research didn’t modify his own ideas.

What is the primary aim in Bertrand Russell’s philosophical work?

Clarity is Russell’s paramount goal. He values a clear, even if ultimately disproved, statement over a vague or obscure pronouncement that is hailed as a “great thought.” He advocates for careful, detailed analysis as the way to advance technical philosophy.

How does Russell distinguish between exact knowledge and areas where emotion has a place?

Russell acknowledges that some areas are beyond exact knowledge but are still practically important. He believes emotion has a place in addressing doubtful problems, while pure thought is best suited for realms of exactness. He emphasizes a sharp distinction between these two types of problems.

What is Russell’s view on Behaviorism?

While not fully agreeing with behaviorism (the idea that everything knowable about man is discoverable by external observation), Russell sees value in it. He believes the behaviorist method can provide self-contained knowledge, taking physics for granted, without needing introspection. However, he maintains introspection also provides knowledge.

What is Russell’s definition of Civilization?

Russell offers multiple definitions of civilization, all interconnected. One essential aspect is forethought, distinguishing humans from animals. He further defines civilization as a way of life resulting from the combination of knowledge and forethought. Another definition is the pursuit of objects not biologically necessary for survival, which arose from surplus agriculture and a leisure class. Ultimately, Russell views civilization as a thing of the mind, involving knowledge and emotion, including awareness of one’s place in the world.

What is Logical Atomism?

Logical atomism is the philosophy Russell advocates. It scrutinizes mathematics and aims to substitute detailed, verifiable results for large, untested generalities. This philosophy maintains there are many things, but denies that there is a whole composed of those things. Philosophical propositions are concerned with all things distributively, and with properties that don’t depend on accidental nature but are true of any possible world.

What is the importance of mathematics, according to Russell?

Russell believes mathematics teaches the habit of thinking without passion, a skill valuable for approaching emotionally charged subjects with greater clarity and objectivity. It helps train the mind to focus on reasoning and come to conclusions.

What is the relationship between liberty and law?

Russell states there can be no widespread liberty except under the reign of law, because when men are lawless only the strongest are free. While he acknowledges the law can be oppressive and revolution sometimes necessary, he asserts that whoever impairs respect for the law in the name of liberty incurs a grave responsibility.

The Nature and Nuances of Affection

Affectionateness is an emotional habit that, in moderation, is considered good, but it can easily be excessive. When taken too far, it can lead to a lack of self-dependence, which can negatively affect one’s character.

Some moralists, who may not be psychologists, confuse affection with benevolence and think it involves desiring the happiness of the loved one. However, affection in its instinctive forms is connected with jealousy and is not always a desirable emotion.

Arabian Philosophy: Transmission of Greek Traditions

Arabian philosophy is more important as a transmitter of Greek traditions than as an original school of thought.

Key aspects of Arabian philosophy:

In philosophy, the Arabs were better as commentators than original thinkers.
Figures like Avicenna and Averroes were essentially commentators.
The views of more scientific philosophers came from Aristotle and the Neoplatonists in logic and metaphysics, from Galen in medicine, and from Greek and Indian sources in mathematics and astronomy. Mystics’ religious philosophy also had an admixture of old Persian beliefs.
Writers in Arabic showed some originality in mathematics and chemistry, with the latter being an incidental result of alchemical researches.
Arabian philosophy is not important as original thought.
Its importance is as a transmitter of Greek traditions.
Islamic civilization was admirable in the arts and in many technical ways but showed no capacity for independent speculation in theoretical matters.

Logical Atomism: Philosophy Through Logic

Logical atomism is a philosophical viewpoint that emphasizes the importance of logic. It posits that schools of thought should be characterized by their logic rather than their metaphysics.

Key aspects of logical atomism:

Logical atomism is a form of pluralism because it maintains that while there are many things, there isn’t a single whole composed of those things.
Philosophical propositions are concerned with all things distributively and with such properties of all things as do not depend upon the accidental nature of the things that happen to be.
It aligns with the scientific approach of detailed, verifiable results over untested generalities.
The logic is atomic.
It involves the critical scrutiny of mathematics.

The source describes it as a philosophy that has gradually emerged through the critical examination of mathematics. It shares a similar spirit with the “new realism” and represents an advance comparable to Galileo’s introduction of piecemeal, detailed, and verifiable results in physics. According to logical atomism, philosophical propositions are not concerned with the whole of things collectively but with all things distributively. These propositions must address properties of all things that are independent of the accidental nature of those things and hold true in any possible world, regardless of facts discovered through our senses.

Psycho-Analysis: Unconscious Desires, Emotional Life, and Impulse Expression

Psycho-analysis is a method used to understand hysteria and certain forms of insanity, revealing that aspects of ordinary lives bear a resemblance to the delusions seen in the insane. It emphasizes the emotional life, suggesting that character and intelligence develop spontaneously with the right emotional development.

Key aspects of psycho-analysis:

Focus on Emotional Life: Psycho-analysis stresses the importance of emotional development, suggesting that character and intelligence should naturally develop if emotional aspects are appropriately addressed.
Unconscious Desires: Psycho-analysis brings to light the connection of dreams, irrational beliefs, and foolish actions with unconscious wishes, though with some exaggeration. These unconscious desires may be for things that one would consider wicked, leading to the entertainment of false beliefs to hide the nature of what is desired.
Impulse Expression: If an impulse is prevented from finding overt expression, it doesn’t necessarily die but goes underground and finds a new outlet not inhibited by training; this deflection can cause emotional disturbance and wasted energy.
Understanding Hysteria and Insanity: Psycho-analysis is primarily a method of understanding hysteria and certain forms of insanity.
Rationalizing: Rationalizing is the process of inventing rational grounds for an irrational decision.

Psycho-analysis has taught that a life excessively against natural impulse is likely to involve effects of strain that may be as bad as indulgence in forbidden impulses. People who live an unnatural life may be filled with envy, malice, and uncharitableness.

The State: Its Functions, Liberty, and International Role

The concept of the State is multifaceted, encompassing its functions, relationship with individual liberty, and its potential role in international cohesion.

Key aspects regarding the State:

The State seems a necessary institution for purposes such as peace and war, tariffs, regulation of sanitary conditions and the sale of noxious drugs, and the preservation of a just system of distribution. These functions could hardly be performed in a community without a central government.
A considerable degree of centralization is indispensable. However, powers of the State should devolve to various bodies based on geography, industry, or culture, with sufficient autonomy.
The State is not an end in itself but a means to enable individuals to give splendor to human life through citizenship and liberty.
State education is necessary but involves dangers, as seen in Nazi Germany and Russia.

Additional considerations:

The tyranny of officials must be resisted to ensure mental freedom. The diffusion of power through democracy is only effective when voters are interested in the questions involved.
The State should treat minorities fairly. A state that treats minorities ruthlessly is a bad state.
The idea that the individual is of no importance and the State is divine is opposed to the Christian ethic and disregards human dignity.
The State, in spite of what Anarchists urge, seems a necessary institution.
The State is essentially an engine of power designed to give the victory to one side in the class conflict.

Furthermore, international cohesion and a sense of the human race as one cooperative unit is increasingly necessary. The survival of scientific civilization may demand a world State and a world-wide system of education to produce loyalty to the world State. However, unrestricted national sovereignty involves disaster, making international government a necessity. The establishment of an international government will not be successful unless most civilized nations are persuaded that unrestricted national sovereignty involves disaster.

By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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Bertrand Russell’s Dictionary of Mind, Matter and Morals