From beginner-friendly introductions to classic books by Russell, this page features books to suit any learning style. It’s important to note that there is no single best book on Russell. The best book for you will depend heavily on your preferred learning style and the amount of time/energy you’re willing to spend reading. For example, if you tend to find classic works of philosophy difficult to understand, you might want to start with a short, beginner-friendly introduction. If you prefer more depth, you can choose a more comprehensive introduction or read Russell for yourself.
It’s also worth noting that it is not a list of personal recommendations. Personal book recommendations tend to be highly subjective, idiosyncratic, and unreliable. This list is part of a collection of over 100 philosophy reading lists which aim to provide a central resource for philosophy book recommendations. These lists were created by searching through hundreds of university course syllabi, internet encyclopedia bibliographies, and community recommendations. Links to the syllabi and other sources used to create this list are at the end of the post. Following these links will help you quickly find a broader range of options if the listed books do not fit what you are looking for.
Here are the best books on or by Bertrand Russell in no particular order.
Russell: A Very Short Introduction – A. C. Grayling
Category: Short Introduction | Length: 166 pages | Published: 1996
Publisher description: Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) is one of the most famous and important philosophers of the twentieth century. In this account of his life and work A.C. Grayling introduces both his technical contributions to logic and philosophy, and his wide-ranging views on education, politics, war, and sexual morality. Russell is credited with being one of the prime movers of Analytic Philosophy, and with having played a part in the revolution in social attitudes witnessed throughout the twentieth-century world. This introduction gives a clear survey of Russell’s achievements across their whole range.
Russell: A Guide for the Perplexed – John Ongley & Rosalind Carey
Category: General Introduction | Length: 224 pages | Published: 2013
Publisher description: Bertrand Russell was one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century. Over his professional career of 45 years Russell left his mark and influence in many domains of intellectual inquiry. This includes the foundations of mathematics, the philosophy of science, metaphysics, the theory of knowledge, the philosophy of language, education, religion, history, ethics and politics.
In Russell: A Guide for the Perplexed, John Ongley and Rosalind Carey offer a clear and thorough account of the work and thought of this key thinker, providing a thematic outline of his central ideas and his enduring influence throughout the field of philosophy. The authors lay out a detailed survey of Russell’s academic, technical philosophy, exploring his work on logic, mathematics, metaphysics, language, knowledge and science. This concise and accessible book engages the reader in a deeper critical analysis of Russell’s prolific philosophical and literary output.
Bertrand Russell: The Spirit of Solitude – Ray Monk
Category: Biography | Length: 752 pages | Published: 1996
Publisher description:
Details the life of the acclaimed philosopher and author of Principia Mathematica, in particular his inner conflict between rigorous principle and romantic desire and his relationships with his contemporaries.
The Cambridge Companion to Bertrand Russell – Nicholas Griffin
Category: Overview | Length: 569 pages | Published: 2003
Publisher description: Bertrand Russell ranks as one of the giants of twentieth-century philosophy. Through his books, journalism, correspondence and political activity he exerted a profound influence on modern thought. This companion centers on Russell’s contributions to modern philosophy and, therefore, concentrates on the early part of his career. There are chapters on Russell’s contributions to the foundations of mathematics, and on his development of logical methods in philosophy and their application to such fields as epistemology, metaphysics and the philosophy of language. The intellectual background to his work is covered, as is his engagement with such contemporaries as Frege and G. E. Moore. The final chapter considers Russell as a moral philosopher. New readers will find this the most convenient and accessible guide to Russell available. Advanced students and specialists will find a conspectus of recent developments in the interpretation of Russell.
The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell – Bertrand Russell
Category: Anthology | Length: 784 pages | Published: 2009
Publisher description: Few philosophers have had a more profound influence on the course of modern philosophy than Bertrand Russell. The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell is a comprehensive anthology of Russell’s most definitive essays written between 1903 and 1959. First published in 1961, this remarkable collection is a testament to a philosopher whom many consider to be one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. This is an essential introduction to the brilliance of Bertrand Russell.
The Problems of Philosophy – Bertrand Russell
Category: Classic | Length: 192 pages
Publisher description: Bertrand Russell was one of the greatest logicians since Aristotle, and one of the most important philosophers of the past two hundred years. As we approach the 125th anniversary of the Nobel laureate’s birth, his works continue to spark debate, resounding with unmatched timeliness and power.
The Problems of Philosophy, one of the most popular works in Russell’s prolific collection of writings, has become core reading in philosophy. Clear and accessible, this little book is an intelligible and stimulating guide to those problems of philosophy which often mistakenly lead to its status as too lofty and abstruse for the lay mind. Focusing on problems he believes will provoke positive and constructive discussion, Russell concentrates on knowledge rather than metaphysics, steering the reader through his famous 1910 distinction between “knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description,” and introducing important theories of Descartes, Kant, Hegel, Hume, Locke, Plato, and others to lay the foundation for philosophical inquiry by general readers and scholars alike….
Logic and Knowledge – Bertrand Russell
Category: Essays | Length: 382 pages
Publisher description: A collection of Bertrand Russell’s most important essays in the fields of logic and the theory of knowledge, which provide an understanding of the development of philosophy in England during the 20th century and of the influence upon one another of Moore, Russell and Wittgenstein.
Sceptical Essays – Bertrand Russell
Category: Essays | Length: 240 pages
Publisher description: ‘These propositions may seem mild, yet, if accepted, they would absolutely revolutionize human life.’
With these words Bertrand Russell introduces what is indeed a revolutionary book. Taking as his starting-point the irrationality of the world, he offers by contrast something ‘wildly paradoxical and subversive’ – a belief that reason should determine human actions. Today, besieged as we are by the numbing onslaught of twenty-first-century capitalism, Russell’s defence of scepticism and independence of mind is as timely as ever. In clear, engaging prose, he guides us through the key philosophical issues that affect our daily lives – freedom, happiness, emotions, ethics and beliefs – and offers no-nonsense advice.
The following sources were used to build this list:
Course Syllabi:
- Bertrand Russell – PHILO 380.81 | City University of New York
Bibliographies:
Other Recommendations:
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A History of Western Philosophy in 500 Essential Quotations – Lennox Johnson
Category: Reference | Length: 145 pages | Published: 2019
Publisher’s Description: A History of Western Philosophy in 500 Essential Quotations is a collection of the greatest thoughts from history’s greatest thinkers. Featuring classic quotations by Aristotle, Epicurus, David Hume, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell, Michel Foucault, and many more, A History of Western Philosophy in 500 Essential Quotations is ideal for anyone looking to quickly understand the fundamental ideas that have shaped the modern world.