Running Head: FAMOUS THINKERS 1

Dr. Cornell Wes ! "errand Russell

#H$%&'(
T)is *orld )as )ad )e +leasure o, )a-ing a large nu./er o, grea )in0ers1 no all o,
)e. )a-e a2)ie-ed a ,a.e saus /u )a does no 2)ange )e ,a2 )a )eir 2reai-e )in0ing is
e3raordinar4. A22ording o 5ood.an ! Fri2)ie6 78116 )e 2reai-e +ro2ess /egins *i) a
FAMOUS THINKERS 7
,oundaion o, 2reai-e ideas. T)ese ideas are 2enered on ideni,4ing a +ro/le. and +ro+osing a
soluion o )e +ro/le.1 )is 2an /e a2)ie-ed /4 o,,ering a di,,eren a++roa2) in addressing )e
issues. I )a-e sele2ed *o ,a.ous )in0ers o dis2uss: Dr. Cornel Wes and "errand Russell6
/o) o, )ese grea )in0ers used )eir 2reai-e )in0ing and ideas o 2reae a 2reai-e +ro2ess o
2)ange )e *a4 )a issues are -ie*ed /4 o)ers.
Dr. Cornel West
Dr. Cornel Wes *as /orn on )e 7
nd
o, 9une 1:';6 in Tulsa6 O0la)o.a. Dr. Wes aended
Har-ard Uni-ersi4 *)ere )e ,or )is undergrad and a graduae degree ,ro. #rin2eon Uni-ersi4.
Dr. Wes is *ell 0no*n ,or )is +olii2al -ie*s and ,or )is in,luenial /oo0 iled <Ra2e Maers=6
*)i2) *as +u/lis)ed in )e a,er.a) o, )e $os Angeles rios in 1::7. Dr. Wes )a-e re2ei-ed
2rii2is. ,or )is -ie*s and ad-o2aing )e issues )a a,,e2 .inoriies6 under+ri-ileged and
under+aid 2o..uni4.
Dr. Wes )as /een -er4 ous+o0en a/ou )is +olii2al -ie*s and re,ers o )is +olii2al
a,,iliaion as a De.o2rai2 So2ialis o, A.eri2a. Dr. Wes *as a su++orer o, )e O/a.a
2a.+aigned unil )e ideni,ied ,la*s in )e +olii2al +lan. Dr. Wes )as o+enl4 2rii2i>ed )e
O/a.a ad.inisraion6 so.e /elie-e *i)ou su++oring ,a2ual in,or.aion. Dr. Wes )as /een
a )e ,ore,ron o, se-eral +roes 2on2erning )e ,air and e?ual rea.en o, )e /la20 and /ro*n
+eo+le and ra2ial in@usi2es in )e Unied Saes.
Dr. Wes -ie*s and ideas /ased on ra2e6 2olor6 and +olii2s6 are used o des2ri/e )e
+resen 2ir2u.san2es )a are +resen in oda4As so2ie4. Dr. Wes des2ri/es )is in er.s o,
2risis6 a 2risis leaders)i+6 a 2risis o, +olii2al6 e2ono.i2al sru2ure o, o++ression and )e .os
re2en <Ra2e Maers= a 2risis o, ni)ilis.. BWal0er6 1::CD Ni)ilis. is de,ined as )e li-ing li,e
*i)ou .eaning6 *i)ou )o+e and *i)ou lo-e in a 2ulure o, 2onsu.+ion. Dr. Wes
FAMOUS THINKERS ;
undersands +er2ei-es ni)ilis. as <)e li-ed e3+erien2e o, 2o+ing *i) )e li,e o, )orri,4ing
.eaninglessness6 )o+elessness6 and lo-elessness= BRa2e Maers +1&.6 1::&D. In <Ra2e Maers=6
Dr. Wes o,,ers *a4s o undersand )e ni)ilisi2 )rea. Dr. Wes des2ri/ed a/oo su/@e2s su2)
as </la20 se3uali4=1 Dr. Wes /elie-es )a *e s)ould deal *i) su/@e2s su2) as )is and no
a-oid )e. li0e )e +lague. Dr. WesAs a++roa2) o s)edding lig) on )e o+i2 o, se3uali4 and
)e +o+ular .usi2 *as an e,,or o 2)ange )e *a4 i is ,e* in )e ,uure and o su++l4 a de2en
alernai-e ,or )e /la20 so2ie4.
Bertrand Russell
"errand Ar)ur Willia. Russell6 *as /orn on )e 1(
)
o, Ma4 1(C76 *as a "riis)
+)iloso+)er6 .a)e.ai2ian and )isorian. Russell on2e 2onsidered )i.sel, a li/eral6 a so2ialis6
and a +a2i,is and laer said )a )e *as reall4 ne-er an4 o, )ose in a +ro,ound sense
BAuo/iogra+)46 +.7E8D. "errand Russell )ad nu.erous 2onri/uions o so2ie41 "errand
Russell esa/lis)ed a /asis ,or 2one.+orar4 .a)e.ai2s6 ,ounded anal4i2al +)iloso+)46 and
+ro-ided a 2onro-ersial -ie* o, +olii2al )eories6 sud4 o, religion and edu2aion. "e2ause o,
)ese -ie*s )e idea o, ne-er *el2o.ing assu.+ions o-er a22urae e-iden2e BIr-ine6 7818D.
"errand Russell *as -er4 ous+o0en a/ou )is -ie*s on )e nu2lear +roli,eraion.
RussellAs -ie* *ere se agains )e /a20dro+ o, WWI6 )e *as a2i-is agains )e *ar. He used
+odiu. o +us) )is idea )a edu2aion 0e4 in so2ial +rogress BIr-ine6 7818D. He /elie-ed )a
+eo+le needed o undersand ea2) o)er and also undersand naure. "errand Russell led
nu.erous +roess agains )e *ar )a 2aused )i. o se-eral 2on-i2ions and e-en /eing
i.+risoned1 uli.ael4 )ese siuaion 2onri/ued o Mr. Russell /eing er.inaed ,ro. se-eral
ea2)ing +osiions a di,,eren ,a2iliies ,or )ig)er learning. "errand Russell ae.+ed o sol-e
issues /4 using logi2al anal4sis and deer.ining *)a ordinar4 2lai.s are /ased on. T)is .eans
FAMOUS THINKERS &
)a 2lai.s or ru)s are /ased on logi2al 2onsru2ion and no /ased on in,erred eniies. Russell
+ro+osed soluion o )is issue *as o inrodu2e .ore )an one di,,eren 4+e o, ru).
Fou 2an .a0e )e assu.+ion )a "errand RussellAs 2reai-e +ro2ess *as 2on,li2ed /4
)in0ing )a all +eo+le s)ared )e sa.e +assion and a22e+ed )is )eories o, realis.. Russell
*as a/le o ,or. a dire2 lin0 /e*een un2on2ealed 0no*ledge and in,erred 0no*ledge o re,ine
)is soluion o anal4i2al reasoning. T)e soluions )ad o /e reasona/le and +ro-a/le in order o
.ee )e es o, logi2. "errand Russell *roe edu2aional /oo0s as a +ro2ess o, ea2)ing and
i.+le.ening soluions6 )is *a4 re2ogni>ing )e de2e+i-eness o, a22e+ing a,,ir.aion *i)ou
2ir2u.sanial +roo, o su++or i.
Conclusion
$oo0ing a )e ideas o, /o) .en and )o* )eir a++roa2)es are di,,eren /u si.ilar in
se-eral *a4s. Dr. Cornel Wes and "errand Russell6 /o) )a-e )eir o*n *a4s o, geing )eir
.essages a2ross o )eir +ros+e2i-e audien2es. Dr. WesAs .essage and ideas 2ould +ossi/l4 /e
undersood /4 .ore liseners i, )is a++roa2) *as .ore suied ,or e-er4one1 no all +eo+le are
re2e+i-e o, )is .essage /e2ause )e4 are no a/le o ge +ass )is deli-er4. T)is is no o sa4 )a
)e .a4 /e doing i *rong /u iAs @us no ,or e-er4one. "errand Russell )as also used )e
2reai-e +ro2ess o address +ro/le.s6 /u )is a++roa2) also 2ould )a-e used so.e ,ineGuning in
)e *a4 i *as i.+le.ened. T)e 2reai-e +ro2ess )a )ese *o )in0ers address a *ide -arie4
o, -ie*s6 allo* )eir ideas o gain noorie4 and /e2o.e +i-oal in )e de-elo+.en )isori2al
2)ange no onl4 in )e A.eri2an so2ie4 /u all o-er )e *orld.
References
5ood.an6 M. and Frii2)ie6 $.$. 7811. T)in0ing li0e a genius. Sud4 5uides and Sraegies.
Rerie-ed ,ro.: )+:%%***.sud4gs.
FAMOUS THINKERS '
Ir-ine6 A.D. 7818. "errand Russell. San,ord En242lo+edia o, #)iloso+)4. Rerie-ed Mar2)
,ro.: )+:%%+lao.san,ord.edu
Wal0er 9r.6 T. B;%78%1::CD. A "rie, Anal4sis o, So2ial Anal4sis and a So2ial Anal4sis o, Cornel
WesHs Conri/uions. Rerie-ed ,ro. )+:%%,a2ul4.s.u.edu%*al0er%*es:C.).
Waree6 E. $. B'%7&%7811D. "ierl4 E-er A,er: Cornel WesHs #ersonal Aa20s Agains #residen
O/a.a. Rerie-ed ,ro. )+:%%***./la20sarne*s.2o.