Abstract

In order to regard Russell’s Logical Atomism as a consistent philosophical system, it is necessary to distinguish between an epistemological and an ontological sphere of the theory. This necessity follows from some otherwise incompatible requisites regarding the nature of individuals as logical atoms; Russell’s remarks on names may serve here as an example. Though the two spheres seem to be—at first glance—unconnected, Russell’s theory of types provides a way to integrate the epistemological sphere into the more fundamental ontological one, given that some crucial background assumptions are accepted