Paradox

T W E N T Y - T W ORussell’s SetWhen the mathematics student Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) entered Cambridge University, he subscribed to theempiricism of his godfather, John Stuart Mill. However, theyounger generation of philosophers believed that Mill hadbeen superseded by Hegel. A recent graduate of Cambridge,John McTaggart, told the young Russell that although he didnot believe in God, he did believe in immortality and aharmony between human beings and the universe. McTaggartclaimed that the unreality of space and time could beproved with mathematical rigor. This colorful mixture oflogic and spirituality contrasted with the black-and-whitecalculating of mathematicians.Russell’s conception of philosophy was inspired byMcTaggart’s Studies in the Hegelian Dialectic. After hisgraduation, Russell expressed an ambition to write “a dialecticlogic of all the sciences and an ethic that should apply topolitics.” He hoped that something like Spinoza’s religioncould be rigorously demonstrated.