Lord Bertrand Russell was not formally schooled until he entered Cambridge, but his brilliance was eminently clear as he shone in mathematics and philosophy. Though born an aristocrat, Russell held political and social beliefs that belied his background: he was a life-long advocate of left-wing causes including pacifism and disarmament. At age 89, Russell was arrested for protesting against nuclear weapons. He wrote numerous treatises on philosophy and education, and in 1950 was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. Russell is considered to have been one of the most important and influential philosophers and social critics of the 20th century.