统一体问题是形而上学中的基础问题,它事关结构性实体,即由组成部分“组合”而成的复杂性实体(如句子、命题和事实),如何可能的问题。历史地看,统一体问题由于布拉德雷的工作而为人们所熟知,并且直至今天依然没有得到完满地解决。罗素很早就认识到这一问题的重要性,并投入巨大精力去解决它,但是这一问题如此困难,以至于为了解决它,罗素不仅在大的哲学立场上数易其帜,在具体哲学问题上更是常常前后矛盾、反复无常。那些他步入哲学舞台时曾引以为豪的立场和观点,如反心理主义、外在关系说(关系是项),都逐渐为他所抛弃。即便如此,罗素依然没能提供一种有希望的解决方案,更不用说实际地解决它。
The problem of unity which concerns the possibility of constructed entity, i.e. the complex entity is comprised of its constituents (such as sentence, proposition and fact), is one of the core issues in metaphysics. From a historical perspective, the problem of unity is well-known because of Bradley's famous works and the fact that it still has not been satisfactorily resolved. Russell was very much aware of the importance of this issue and made great effort to deal with it. However, this problem is so difficult that, in order to resolve it, Russell not only changed his philosophical positions frequently but also contradicted himself with respect to particular issues. As a result, those positions and opinions, such as anti-psychologism and the doctrine of external relation, which he once insisted on and were proud of for many years when he entered the philosophical arena, were abandoned by him gradually. But even so, Russell did not provide a hopeful solution, not to mention actually solving it.