bertrand russell unpopular essays

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Unpopular Essays

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In this volume of essays Russell is concerned to combat, in one way or another, the growth of dogmatism, whether of the Left or of the Right, which has hitherto characterised our tragic century.

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Bertrand Russell,

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`Russell is as incapable of being dull as he is of being shallow.' - The Observer `An intellectual treat ... ' - Financial Times

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Unpopular Essays

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In this volume of essays Bertrand Russell is concerned to combat, in one way or another, the growth of dogmatism, whether of the Right or of the Left, which has hitherto characterised our tragic century. This serious purpose inspires them even if, at times, they seem flippant; for those who are solemn and pontifical. In subject they range from Philosophy for the Layman, The Functions of a Teacher, and The Future of Mankind to an Outline of Intellectual Rubbish, Ideas that have helped Mankind and Ideas that have Harmed Mankind.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter chapter i | 31  pages, philosophy and politics, chapter chapter 2 | 13  pages, philosophy for laymen, chapter chapter 3 | 11  pages, the future of mankind, chapter chapter 4 | 13  pages, philosophy's ulterior motives, chapter chapter 5 | 7  pages, the superior virtue of the oppressed, chapter chapter 6 | 6  pages, on being modern-minded, chapter chapter 7 | 42  pages, an outline of intellectual rubbish, chapter chapter 8 | 13  pages, the functions of a teacher, chapter chapter 9 | 23  pages, ideas that have helped mankind, chapter chapter 10 | 21  pages, ideas that have harmed mankind, chapter chapter 11 | 7  pages, eminent men i have known, chapter chapter 12 | 3  pages, obituary* (1937).

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Registered in England & Wales No. 3099067 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG © 2024 Informa UK Limited

By Bertrand Russell New York: Simon and Schuster. Inc., 1950 175 pages

�A word as to the title. In the Preface to my I said that I was writing not only for professional philosophers, and that �philosophy proper deals with matters of interest to the general educated public.� Reviewers took me to task, saying they found parts of the book difficult, and implying that my words were such as to mislead purchasers. I do not wish to expose myself again to this charge; I will therefore confess that there are several sentences in the present volume which some unusually stupid children of ten might find a little puzzling. On this ground I do not claim that the essays are popular; and if not popular, then �unpopular.��

PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS: Pp: 1 � 20

":� has resulted from the attempt to produce a synthesis of science and religion, or perhaps more exactly, to combine a doctrine as to the nature of the universe and man�s place in it with a practical ethic including what was considered the best way of life.�

�. . . had served chiefly as bug-bears to be used by reactionaries in frightening people into irrational dogmatism.�

�Change is one thing, progress is another. �Change� is scientific and �progress� is ethical; change is indubitable, whereas progress is a matter of controversy."

�If it were certain that without Jews the world would be a paradise, there could be no valid objection to Auschwitz; but if it is much more probable that the world resulting from such methods would be a hell, we can allow free play to our natural humanitarian revulsion against cruelty.�

PHILOSOPHY FOR LAYMEN: Pp. 21 � 31.

�Philosophy had had from its earliest days two different objects which were believed to be closely interrelated. On the one hand it aimed at a theoretical understanding of the structure of the world; on the other hand it tried to discover and articulate the best possible way of life. From Heraclitus to Hegel, or even to Marx, it consistently kept both ends in view; it was neither purely theoretical nor purely practical . . .�

THE FUTURE OF MANKIND Pp 34 � 44

Philosophy?s ulterior motives: pp 45 ? 57, the superior virtue of the oppressed: pp 58 ? 64.

�As appears from the various instances that we have considered, the stage in which superior virtue is attributed to the oppressed is transient and unstable. It begins only when the oppressors come to have a bad conscience, and this happens when their power is no longer secure.�

ON BEING MODERN-MINDED Pp. 65 � 70

An outline of intellectual rubbish. pp. 71 ? 111., the functions of the teacher: pp: 112 ? 123.

�Something called education is given to everybody, usually by the state but sometimes by the churches. The teacher has thus become, in the vast majority of cases, a civil servant obliged to carry out the behests of men who have not his learning, who have no experience of dealing with the young, and whose only attitude toward education is that of the propagandist.�

IDEAS THAT HAVE HELPED MANKING: Pp. 124 � 145

�The ideas with which we shall be concerned may be broadly divided into two kinds, those that contribute to knowledge and technique, and those that are concerned with morals and politics . . . �

�. . . the present state of the world and the fear of an atomic war shows that scientific progress without a corresponding moral and political progress may only increase the magnitude of the disaster that misdirected skill may bring about.�

IDEAS WHICH HAVE HARMED MANKIND. Pp. 146 -165

Eminent men i have known: pp. 166 ? 172, obituary: pp: 173 ? 175.

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Unpopular Essays Kindle Edition

A classic collection of Bertrand Russell’s more controversial works, reaffirming his staunch liberal values, Unpopular Essays is one of Russell’s most characteristic and self-revealing books. Written to "combat… the growth in Dogmatism", on first publication in 1950 it met with critical acclaim and a wide readership and has since become one of his most accessible and popular books.

• Print length 200 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher Routledge
• Publication date March 4, 2009
• File size 1879 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

‘An intellectual treat...the delight of this book lies in that combination of wit with perception, and of width of view with ease of expression for which Russell made himself known.’ - Financial Times

‘Russell is as incapable of being dull as he is of being shallow’ – The Observer

‘His writings reflect his crystalline, scintillating mind and rank him among the few masters of English style’ – Sunday Times

About the Author

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was one of the most formidable thinkers of the modern era. A philosopher, mathematician, educational innovator, champion of intellectual, social and sexual freedom, and a campaigner for peace and human rights, he was also a prolific writer of popular and influential books, essays and lectures on an extensive range of subjects.

Considered to be one of the most controversial figures of the twentieth century, Bertrand Russell is widely renowned for his provocative writings. These definitive works offer profound insights and forward-thinking perspectives on a changing western society progressively shaped, most significantly, by two world wars, the decline of British imperialism and an evolving moral landscape.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B36NCL39
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 1st edition (March 4, 2009)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 4, 2009
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1879 KB
• Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Up to 4 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
• #258 in Epistemology (Kindle Store)
• #942 in Political Philosophy (Kindle Store)
• #963 in Philosophy of Logic & Language

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Unpopular Essays

Unpopular Essays (1950) is a book by Bertrand Russell . It constitutes a collection of his more controversial essays.

• 1.1 Chapter 1: Philosophy and Politics
• 1.2 Chapter 2: Philosophy for Laymen
• 1.3 Chapter 3: The Future of Mankind
• 1.4 Chapter 4: Philosophy's Ulterior Motives
• 1.5 Chapter 6: On Being Modern-Minded
• 1.6 Chapter 7: An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish
• 1.7 Chapter 10: Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind

Chapter 1: Philosophy and Politics

• Sardonic comments on human inclinations, p. 19

Chapter 2: Philosophy for Laymen

Chapter 3: the future of mankind.

• Sometimes misquoted as "Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery."

Chapter 4: Philosophy's Ulterior Motives

Chapter 6: on being modern-minded, chapter 7: an outline of intellectual rubbish.

• Many a man will have the courage to die gallantly, but will not have the courage to say, or even to think, that the cause for which he is asked to die is an unworthy one.
• Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.

Chapter 10: Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind

• Works by Bertrand Russell

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