Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy

Russell begins by introducing the basic concepts of mathematical logic including propositional logic predicate logic and set theory. He then argues that these concepts can be used to analyze and clarify philosophical problems such as the nature of existence the problem of induction and the relationship between mind and body. One of the key ideas in the book is the theory of descriptions which Russell uses to analyze the meaning of sentences that contain definite descriptions such as the present king of France. Russell argues that such sentences are not meaningful because they do not refer to anything that exists. This theory has had a significant impact on the development of philosophy of language.