Russell on Negative Facts

Abstract

Throughout his atomistic period, and for a surprising number of years afterwards (see, e.g., HKSL, 121 ff.), Russell struggled with the problems of negation. In spite of near riots and almost unquenchable desires, he found himself unable, during the atomistic years, to avoid the positing of negative facts. The matter still needs some looking into. I propose, in this paper, to look into it. As usual in such discussions, we will need some ontological ground-rules. Mine will be liberal. I shall, for example, mirror