Relations in General Philosophy

Abstract

Earlier chapters have demonstrated the close link between analysis and relations in Russell’s mathematical philosophy. Yet, as usually happens in philosophy, developments in one area are not long in spilling over into others. Hence it comes as no surprise to find Russell applying the combination of analysis and relations to a much wider range of philosophical problems. Indeed, for Russell, mathematical philosophy itself extends into the realm of space, matter and motion (PoM: Parts VI and VII).¹ His view is that pure mathematics is concerned in an a priori way with possible spaces, Euclidean and non-Euclidean, and possible dynamics, Newtonian and non-Newtonian. This view survives from Russell’s idealist phase.² Thus the application of the method of analysis and relations to the philosophy of the empirical world is merely a logical continuation of what went before. We shall find that relations are essential to the account of Russellian analysis in general philosophy developed in Chapters Three and Four above. If anything, the union of analysis and relations in general philosophy is even more intimate than in mathematical philosophy. However, we first need to consider some fundamental points in Russell’s views about relations.