Russell's Completeness Proof

Citation

Milne P (2008) Russell's Completeness Proof. History and Philosophy of Logic, 29 (1), pp. 31-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/01445340701414295

Abstract
Bertrand Russell’s 1906 article ‘The Theory of Implication’ contains an algebraic weak completeness proof for classical propositional logic. Russell did not present it as such. We give an exposition of the proof and investigate Russell’s view of what he was about, whether he could have appreciated the proof for what it is, and why there is no parallel of the proof in Principia Mathematica.

Keywords
Bertrand Russell; Principia Mathematica; completeness; propositional logic; Russell, Bertrand, 1872-1970.; Reasoning; Mathematics Philosophy

Journal
History and Philosophy of Logic: Volume 29, Issue 1

People

Professor Peter Milne

Emeritus Professor, Philosophy