Repairing Bertrand Russells 1913 Theory of Knowledge by Gregory Landini
This book repairs and revives the Theory of Knowledge research program ofRussells Principia era. Chapter 1, 'Introduction and Overview', explains theprograms agenda. Inspired by the non-Fregean logicism of Principia Mathematica,it endorses the revolution within mathematics presenting it as a study of relations.The synthetic a priori logic of Principia is the essence of philosophy considered asa science which exposes the dogmatisms about abstract particulars andmetaphysical necessities that create prisons that fetter the mind. Incipient in TheProblems of Philosophy, the programs acquaintance epistemology embraced amultiple-relation theory of belief. It reached an impasse in 1913, having been itself retrofitted with abstract particular logical forms to address problems ofdirection and compositionality. With its acquaintance epistemology in limbo,ScientificMethod in Philosophy became the sequel to Problems. Chapter 2 explainsRussells feeling intellectually dishonest. Wittgensteins demand that logicexclude nonsense belief played no role. The 1919 neutral monist era ensued, butRussell found no epistemology for the logic essential to philosophy. Repairing,Chapters 46 solve the impasse. Reviving, Chapters 3 and 7 vigorously defendthe facts about Principia. Studies of modality and entailment are viable whilePrincipia remains a universal logic above the civil wars of the metaphysicians.