Russell’s Bismarck: Acquaintance Theory and Historical Distance
Author(s)
Thomas Aiello*
ABSTRACT
The role of acquaintance in Bertrand Russell’s theory of descriptions is antithetical and, indeed, antagonistic toward the practice and assumptions of history. In his 1910 paper “Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description,” Russell attempts to reconcile direct acquaintance (or its inability to determine the personal self of others) with a descriptive knowledge that is both logical and personal. Russell tries to reconcile the internal and external worlds, attempting to explain access to impersonal knowledge inside a framework that doesn’t allow acquaintance with physical objects—he distorts the historical space between researcher and subject. In so doing, he argues for the superiority of acquaintance as an arbiter of knowledge, narrowly avoiding solipsism and wrongly devaluing the most basic of historiograhpical assumptions. His conception creates false historical goals and distorts the space of historical distance, illustrated in this paper through the American slavery studies of Herbert Aptheker, Stanley Elkins, and Kenneth Stampp.
The role of acquaintance in Bertrand Russell’s theory of descriptions is antithetical and, indeed, antagonistic toward the practice and assumptions of history. In his 1910 paper “Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description,” Russell attempts to reconcile direct acquaintance (or its inability to determine the personal self of others) with a descriptive knowledge that is both logical and personal. Russell tries to reconcile the internal and external worlds, attempting to explain access to impersonal knowledge inside a framework that doesn’t allow acquaintance with physical objects—he distorts the historical space between researcher and subject. In so doing, he argues for the superiority of acquaintance as an arbiter of knowledge, narrowly avoiding solipsism and wrongly devaluing the most basic of historiograhpical assumptions. His conception creates false historical goals and distorts the space of historical distance, illustrated in this paper through the American slavery studies of Herbert Aptheker, Stanley Elkins, and Kenneth Stampp.
Cite this paper
Aiello, T. (2013). Russell’s Bismarck: Acquaintance Theory and Historical Distance. Advances in Historical Studies, 2, 6-10. doi: 10.4236/ahs.2013.21003.
Aiello, T. (2013). Russell’s Bismarck: Acquaintance Theory and Historical Distance. Advances in Historical Studies, 2, 6-10. doi: 10.4236/ahs.2013.21003.
References
[1] Aptheker, H. (1943). American negro slave revolts. New York: Columbia University Press. [2] Diamond, C. (2000). Does Bismarck have a beetle in his box? The private language argument in the Tractatus. In A. Crary, & R. Read (Eds.), The new wittgenstein (pp. 262-292). London: Routledge. [3] Elkins, S. (1959). Slavery: A problem in American institutional and intellectual life. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [4] Feinberg, B., & Kasrils, R. (1983). Bertrand Russell’s America: 1945-1970 (Vol. 2). Boston: South End Press. [5] Frege, G. (1914). Letter to Jourdain. In M. Beany (Ed.), The frege reader (pp. 319-321). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [6] Frege, G. (1892). On Sinn and Bedeutung (originally published 1892). In M. Beany (Ed.), The frege reader (pp. 151-171). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [7] Frege, G. (1918). Thought. In M. Beany (Ed.), The frege reader (pp. 325-345). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [8] Gall, L. (1986). Bismarck: The white revolutionary: 1871-1898 (Vol. 2). London: Allen and Unwin. [9] Monk, R. (1996). Bertrand Russell: The spirit of solitude, 1872-1921. New York: The Free Press. [10] Russell, B. (2004). Knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description (Originally published 1911). In Mysticism and logic. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. [11] Stampp, K. (1971). Rebels and sambos: The search for the negro’s personality in slavery. Journal of Southern History, 37, 367-392. doi:10.2307/2206947
[1] Aptheker, H. (1943). American negro slave revolts. New York: Columbia University Press. [2] Diamond, C. (2000). Does Bismarck have a beetle in his box? The private language argument in the Tractatus. In A. Crary, & R. Read (Eds.), The new wittgenstein (pp. 262-292). London: Routledge. [3] Elkins, S. (1959). Slavery: A problem in American institutional and intellectual life. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [4] Feinberg, B., & Kasrils, R. (1983). Bertrand Russell’s America: 1945-1970 (Vol. 2). Boston: South End Press. [5] Frege, G. (1914). Letter to Jourdain. In M. Beany (Ed.), The frege reader (pp. 319-321). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [6] Frege, G. (1892). On Sinn and Bedeutung (originally published 1892). In M. Beany (Ed.), The frege reader (pp. 151-171). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [7] Frege, G. (1918). Thought. In M. Beany (Ed.), The frege reader (pp. 325-345). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. [8] Gall, L. (1986). Bismarck: The white revolutionary: 1871-1898 (Vol. 2). London: Allen and Unwin. [9] Monk, R. (1996). Bertrand Russell: The spirit of solitude, 1872-1921. New York: The Free Press. [10] Russell, B. (2004). Knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description (Originally published 1911). In Mysticism and logic. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. [11] Stampp, K. (1971). Rebels and sambos: The search for the negro’s personality in slavery. Journal of Southern History, 37, 367-392. doi:10.2307/2206947