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Russell: Acquaintance and Description


Every proposition which we can understand must be composed wholly of constituents with which we are acquainted; but in order to know any proposition we surely must be able to understand it; therefore, we can have no knowledge by description. Would Russell endorse such an argument?


Key readings

(Russell, 1912, ch. V)

Russell (1917)

(Sainsbury, 1979, ch. II)


Further readings

(Russell, 1956b, chs. I and III)

Hintikka (1972)




Sandy Berkovski