A three-day conference at the University of Mississippi will commemorate the 100th anniversary of philosopher Bertrand Russell’s influential book The Problems of Philosophy.
Bertrand Russell’s The Problems of Philosophy: The Centenary Conference will take place Nov. 29-Dec. 1 on the UM campus. The event will begin with a special public lecture delivered by John Shosky, professorial lecturer at American University and visiting senior member of Linacre College in the University of Oxford, on Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. in Bryant Hall, Room 209.
To reflect the spirit of The Problems of Philosophy — the first book Russell wrote for both the general public and scholars of philosophy — Shosky’s lecture, “Russell’s Relevance and the Value of Philosophy” is free and geared toward the general public.
“The Problems of Philosophy is one of Bertrand Russell’s most widely read books,” said Donovan Wishon, UM assistant professor of philosophy. “It’s one of the most important philosophical works of the 20th century. Most of the philosophy that’s being done in the English-speaking world today descends directly from Bertrand Russell’s work, which includes this book.”
The conference also features talks and commentaries by more than a dozen distinguished Russell scholars on topics including the evolution of Russell’s views on knowledge and role of dreams in the 1912 book.
“The intent of the presentations is to shed new light on the philosophical problems Russell raises in his book, his attempted solutions to those problems therein, and the bearing the attempted solutions have for our own understanding of how to address these philosophical problems in a contemporary context,” Wishon said.
During his life, Russell authored more than 70 books and was awarded the 1950 Nobel Prize in literature. The philosopher died in 1970.
Bertrand Russell’s The Problems of Philosophy: The Centenary Conference is presented by the UM Department of Philosophy and Religion and the College of Liberal Arts in conjunction with the Mississippi Humanities Council and the Bertrand Russell Society.
To attend the events on Friday and Saturday, students will be required to pay a conference fee of $10; for other attendees, the fee is $20. The fee is waived for all Mississippi residents.
For more information on the lecture, registration or assistance related to a disability, click here or contact the Department of Philosophy and Religion at 662-915-7020.