BRACERS Record Detail for 131471
To access the original letter, email the Ready Division.
From the entry in the Fisher Library catalogue, Gen. MS 6.045: "A.L.S. (photocopy) to Prof. J.N. Wright concerning Stout’s lectures on the history of philosophy, which Russell attended." K. Blackwell copied the photocopy by hand and proofread it against both the file transcription and the photocopy. There were 2 errors in the former. Wright was going to write a biography of Stout, an accompanying note states. The outcome was the DNB entry on Stout and a Philosophical Quarterly article on him, 4 (1954): 75–81.
The above from typed copy. Checked twice only. ALS(X) and 2 corrections. “about” a Fellow, and N.W.1.
BR to Johnny Wright, J.N. Wright, Prof. of Logic and Metaphysics, and Dean, at St. Andrews U., was planning to write a bio of G.F. Stout and wanted background info. He never completed the bio.
BR TO J.N. WRIGHT, 5 JUNE 1948
BRACERS 131471. ALS(X). U. of Toronto, Fisher Library, J.G. Slater Papers
Proofread by K. Blackwell
<letterhead>
27 Dorset House
Gloucester Place
N.W.1.
5 June 1948
Dear Dean
I went to Stout’s lectures for a year, 1893–4. At first there was also a Girtonian, who however dropped out, alleging that Stout embarrassed her by asking where I was if she arrived first. After that I was the only pupil. He lectured in his rooms, on History of Philosophy — especially Bacon, Hobbes, and Descartes, who were the special period that year. I do not remember much except about that a Fellow of John’s who was sacked for fishing out of his window on Sunday. As for Stout’s philosophical views, the most significant thing I remember is his saying, after reading Appearance and Reality, that “Bradley has done all that is humanly possible in ontology”. I got the general impression that he was Hegelian to the extent that Bradley was. I enjoyed his lectures very much, and found him a stimulating teacher — except once, when I found him rather collapsed, and he explained that the night before he had forgotten to dine owing to absorption in work. I was duly impressed. I have never reached that pitch of absorption myself.
I am sorry I cannot remember any more.
Yours truly
Russell.
