ABSTRACT
But although Russell's philosophy is confusing in its variety ofsurface detail, it is held together by its aims and methods. In his recent study of Russell's philosophy,3 Professor Ayer lists 'ten main assumptions from which all his characteristic doctrines are derived'. Whether or not Russell's philosophy can plausibly be construed as quite so systematic a structure, is debatable. But it is certain that he did consciously rely upon two methodological principles. The first of these is that philosophical method should be modelled on the methods of science, though philosophers should not pay too much regard to its actual results: 4
Much philosophy inspired by science has gone astray through preoccupation with the results momentarily supposed to have been achieved. I t is not results but methods that can be transferred with profit from the sphere of the special sciences to the sphere of philosophy.
