The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell was first published in 1912. In this book, the author attempts to create a brief and accessible guide to the problems of philosophy. He introduces philosophy as a repeating series of (failed) attempts to answer the same questions: Can we prove that there is an external world? Can we prove cause and effect? Can we validate any of our generalizations? Can we objectively justify morality? He goes on to assert that philosophy cannot answer any of these questions and that any value of philosophy must lie elsewhere than in offering answers to these questions.