A Newly Discovered Text by Russell on Pythagoras and the History of Mathematics

Abstract

This paper presents a lengthy unpublished passage by Russell on the attempts by Pythagoras and subsequent mathematicians to deal with continuity and the logical paradoxes, recently discovered in the manuscript of the History of Western Philosophy. In the first part, I provide a short introduction to the new material. In the second, I analyze its philosophical content. In the third, I develop some considerations, mainly in the attempt to solve the following problems: can we determine when and for what purpose Russell wrote these leaves? why were they never published? where do we find similar subjects expounded in the History? where does the significance of the discovery really lie?