Russell’s The Problems of Philosophy is written as an introduction to philosophy, but its content provides a systematic account of Russell’s views at the time it was written (1912). He sets these in the context of the views of a variety of historical figures, especially the philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries who are studied in Phi 142.

In chapter 1, Russell argues that we have no immediate experience of external objects. Think about his arguments critically—how strong are they? Do we, as he suggests, nevertheless have immediate experience of something? (Russell’s views on both issues have been disputed.)

Note the special terminology (or special meanings for familiar terminology) that he introduces when discussing idealism—in particular, sensation, sense data, physical object, matter. And think about the two questions he associates with the latter pair of terms (i.e. the questions appearing in ¶¶1.9, 1.11, 1.16). Although Russell emphasizes differences among philosophers’ answers to the second question, they have differed also in their answers to the first, and the term idealism is sometimes applied also to a particular sort of answer to that question.