Portraits from Memory

by Bertrand Russell, Nicholas Griffin (Foreword)

'I have come to think that one of the main causes of trouble in the world is dogmatic and fanatical belief in some doctrine for which there is no adequate evidence.' - Bertrand Russell



Portraits from Memory is one of Bertrand Russell's most self-reflective and engaging books. Whilst not intended as an autobiography, it is a vivid recollection of some of his celebrated contemporaries, such as George Bernard Shaw, Sidney and Beatrice Webb and D. H. Lawrence. Russell provides some arresting and sometimes amusing insights into writers with whom he corresponded. He was fascinated by Joseph Conrad, with whom he formed a strong emotional bond, writing that his Heart of Darkness was not just a story but an expression of Conrad's 'philosophy of life'. There are also some typically pithy Russellian observations; H. G. Wells 'derived his importance from quantity rather than quality', whilst after a brief and fraught friendship Russell thought D. H. Lawrence 'had not real wish to make the world better, but only to indulge in eloquent soliloquy about how bad it was.'



This engaging book also includes some of Russell's customary razor-sharp essays on a rich array of subjects, from his ardent pacifism, liberal politics and morality to the ethics of education, the skills of good writing and how he came to philosophy as a young man. These include 'A Plea for Clear Thinking', 'A Philosophy for Our Time' and 'How I Write'.



Portraits from Memory is Russell at his best and will enthrall those new to Russell as well as those already well-acquainted with his work. This Routledge Classics edition includes a new foreword by the Russell scholar Nicholas Griffin, editor of The Selected Letters of Bertrand Russell.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Biography, Essays, History, Memoir, Autobiography

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS, was a Welsh philosopher, historian, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, pacifist, and prominent rationalist. Although he was usually regarded as English, as he spent the majority of his life in England, he was born in Wales, where he also died.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 "in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought."

Reviews

[bajwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

First how I came across this book. I see Tolstoy's hand of Prudence in that matter.
One odd day as I scrolled down in one of my google searches , I found an article about 'an antique bookshop in Lahore' my home city. Caught my attention immediately. I read the article, then I read some more about the store online, called the proprietor, and finally made up my mind to visit as early as possible.The next day I was standing in front of the shop. Looked like some deserted shop from the 70s. At the facade, there was a stall full of Urdu digests and children books so I had to enter from a narrow path on the left. As I entered, I realized there was actually a shop behind the shop. The one behind happened to be the one I was looking for. As soon I was in that indie antique shop it was a beautiful and wonderful feeling to be around all those old books patiently waiting to be read and share words of the wisdom. I started my visit from the fiction section, moved on to philosophy and obviously things got interesting. There, I came across this book lying on the shelf full of dust fighting the wear and tear of time. I picked it up, removed the dust and skimmed through it and then decided to come back to it. When I came back to this book after visiting all the sections, I had selected five books for final selection. I had in my mind to buy only two books because they just keep piling on. I spent more time selecting two books out of five than I had spent on selecting five out of the whole shop because its just hard to put them off. In the end I just followed my intuition and decided to buy this book and another book on Second World War.

Although the beginning was not very interesting for me but Russel has such a good sense of humor and i don't know from where he gets his super-examples that i couldn't put this book away. The first essays are autobiographical, then comes the essay about growing old, then an essay on eightieth birthday followed by essays on other important writers of his time. In the last there are twelve essays bearing the power to change people's life. He covers most important yet less understood aspects of life i.e. happiness, peace, wisdom, thinking etc. Russel had a clear understanding of problems faced by humanity and I found him very passionate in trying to eradicate those problems. How humanity is suffering, why humanity is suffering and how to overcome this suffering. Since Russel's time some things have improved and many things have become worse. It wouldn't have surprised him though.

This book is very much compatible even today i.e it has no time stamp philosophically. But I am afraid most people don't read books like these anymore. Still, being an optimist, I strongly recommend this book to every living soul and especially to the leaders of this world.

[Misha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell is like fine wine - instead of peaking early and then going mouldy, age rather ameliorates the flavour, by bringing about a deepening of character. Whereas young Russell lacks the vigour and originality of, say, the youthful Wittgenstein or Nietzsche, old Russell has something unique to offer. Unlike, The Problems of Philosophy, which is quite bland, Portraits from Memory, and especially the other essays, ponders over some of the deepest questions facing the post-WWII world. Here, Russell's uniquely clear thinking and writing helpfully associates with his sophisticated and wide-ranging knowledge of societal affairs, created by his almost a century-long effort to acquire more knowledge (Russell was ~84 when this book was first published).

One notable essay is Why I am not a Communist, in which Russell gives a very short but intriguing critique of communism. He believes that both its theoretical tenets are unsound and its practical consequences undesirable. For one, Marxism, Russell writes, applies Ricardo's labour-based theory of values to wages, but not the prices of manufactured products (if they did, a bad product generated by the sweat and tears of many should be more expensive than an amazing product, effortlessly finessed into existence by a creative manufacturer). Furthermore, the dictatorship of the Proletariat cannot be very democratic if, like in Soviet Russia, the Proletariat is a tiny minority compared to, e.g., the peasants. It is even less democratic if we restrict the dictatorship to 'class-conscious' Proletarians, which in the Soviet Union was deemed to be 'only one person', quips Russell - Joseph Stalin.

Another very interesting essay is History as an Art, in which Russell really shows off his depth of knowledge, and the ease with which he appeals to it. He argues that history should not be treated as a specialist subject, intelligible only to academics or other specialist professionals. Rather, history should be an essential part of anyone's mental constitutions, guiding our decisions in any of our affairs. Some of Russell's thoughts on, for instance, Spengler's morphological view of history, and on the effect of television on society, I found highly engaging.

Man's Peril, and its sequel, Steps Towards Peace argue that the Hydrogen Bomb has totally upset global warfare. Essentially, any institution with substantial funding and some amount of scientific competence, can produce such a beast of a bomb, and by recklessness or maliciousness destroy all of life on earth. This, Russell shows, cannot but entail that we can have no more wars if we wish to preserve humanity at all. Indeed, violent global wars seem far from imminent in our present age, some 60 years after Man's Peril was written. In the digital age, wars have not ceased. They have rather grown more complicated, less violent, and much more hard to grasp. A 150-year-old Russell with even more acquired wisdom could have proved quite useful.

[أحمد · Rating 2 out of 5]

لم يكن كَوْبِي – كما يقول القول الإنجليزي، أو هو المزاج، ومع أنها مقالات متنوّعة في المواضيع غير أن الكثير من الملل تسرّب إليَّ خلال قراءتها، وحتى في المقالات التي تحدّث فيها عن حوادث شخصية أو عن نفسه وتكوينه واختياره للفلسفة، شعرت بها باردة، وبرتراند رسل – على أي حال - شخصية إنجليزية أرستقراطية محافظة!، ولكني أستثني من ذلك أفكاره الناقضة للفلسفة الماركسية، فهي بارعة، وكذلك مقالته في الاحتفال بعيد ميلاده الثمانيني، فهي دافئة الوقع، وكذلك بعض الفقرات المثيرة للاهتمام من المقال الطويل والأساسي في هذا الكتاب، وهو مقال: "العقل والمادة".

وربما كنتُ السبب فعلاً، وربما سأعاود قراءة بعضه في مناسبة ثانية.

وتبقى الإشارة إلى أن المترجم تفنّن كثيرًا ليخرج بترجمته هذه في أسلوب عربي، وعمد بتركيز إلى صياغة جمله صياغة عربية أصيلة، وإن أحسست أن جرعة التفنّن قد زادت عن حدّها قليلاً، ولكنه جهد لافت.

وملاحظة لا أهمية لها: اختار المترجم كلمة "فالوذج" ترجمة لحلوى الجيلي الإنجليزية، ولكن الفالوذج، بالإضافة إلى أنه حلوى تراثية لا يعرفها الكثيرون ليفهموا معنى المقولة الهيجلية الواردة فيها، فهو لا يتشابه مع الجيلي في أي شيء، ولا يحقق معنى المقولة التي جاءت ضمنها كلمة الجيلي، من حيث أنها تعني الاهتزاز وعدم الاستقرار على حال، فالفالوذج حلوى متماسكة تمًامًا من السمن والعسل أو الدقيق والسكر، وكلاهما ثابت، كما أنه لا يوجد شيء عربي تراثي أو غير تراثي يُسمّى فالوذج البرقوق :)

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Russell would not be surprised at the state of the world now, but he would be greatly disappointed in his fellow man.

[Nouru-éddine · Rating 3 out of 5]

::انطباع عام::
========
"العقل والمادة كليهما وهم."

قلم رسل جزل وممتع لكنه مهما كان رجل إنجليزي بارد، ربما لا يعلم كيف أن الحياة أكثر عشوائية من رياضياته وألعن حرارةً من فيتكوريته! ولكن هذا كتاب جيد يصلح كمدخل لعالم رسل الفكري، وكذلك الاطلاع على جزء لا بأس به من سيرته خصوصًا طفولته وأهم الأشخاص البارزة التي عاصرها. ورغم كل ذلك، فالقراءة لرسل دومًا ممتعة، لأنه صاحب عقل نابه وذكي، رجل عاش ما يقرب من المائة عام بعقل مشحوذ ومتقد، وراقب تغيرات المجتمعات والعالم عبر مراحله المتعددة.
أما عن الترجمة فهي ليست ترجمة بالمعنى الحديث للكلمة، بل هي تعريب كامل! وهو مجهود مشكور من ولكنه أضاع القليل أو الكثير من أسلوب رسل الساخر والذكي.
أعجبني الفصل الذي يتحدث فيه رسل عن فيتجنشتاين للغاية. أمتع الفصول كان فصل صور من الذاكرة، بينما أصعبها كان فصل العقل والمادة الذي يشرح فيه نظريته الخاصة التوفيقية بين المثالية الكانطية والمادية الحتمية؛ بينما أكثر الفصول مللاً تلك التي تتحدث عن الشيوعية والسلام ومجابهة سباق التسلح النووي وما إلى ذلك.
***
::في سطور::
=========
هذا الكتاب هو مجموعة مقالات لبرتراند راسل (1872-1970)، نُشرت باللغة الأصلية عام 1956. حرّر برتراند راسل هذه المجموعة عن عمر يناهز 82 عامًا. الفصول السبعة الأولى هي في معظمها سيرة ذاتية: يستذكر المؤلف طفولته وشبابه ودراسته الجامعية في جامعة كامبريدج، والأشخاص الذين قابلهم منذ أيام دراسته الجامعية، ومعارضته للحرب العالمية الأولى ومشاركة المملكة البريطانية فيها (كان مع موقف الحياد). تتناول الفصول الثلاثة عشر الأخيرة التالية مواضيع فلسفية تتعلق بالأخلاق، ومشكلة المعرفة، والعلم، ومستقبل البشرية ومناهضة سباق التسلح.
***
::الفهرست::
========
مقدمة: هذا الكتاب
خلاصَة حَياتي
- لماذا تعلقت بالفلسفة؟
- بعض صلاتي الفلسفية
تجارب مسالم في الحرب العالمية الأولى
من المنطق إلى السياسة
- عقائد: ملقاة ومستبقاة
آمال : محققات ومخيبات
كيف تشِيخ؟
نظرات على يوم ميلادي الثمانين
صور من الذاكرة (هذا أمتع فصل!)
بعض زملاء كمبريدج في العقد التاسع
بعض من عاصرتهم في كمبريدج
جورج برنارد شو
ه. ج. ويلز
جوزيف كونراد
جورج سانتايانا
ألفريد نورث هوايتهد
سدني وبياتريس وب
د. ه. لورانس
لورد جون رسل
جُون ستيوارت مل
العقل والمادة (أصعب فصل!)
عبادة الاستعمال الشائع
١ - عدم الإخلاص:
٢- تبرير الجهل:
المعرفة والحكمَة
فلسَفَة لزمانتَا
الهنا والآن
صور الكون المختلفة
جذور التقدم الاجتماعي
دعوة إلى التفكير الواضح
معنى الديموقراطية
ترجمة المشكلات إلى صور مجردة
التاريخ فنَّا
كيف أكتب؟
الطريق إلى السعا (الفصول المملة!)
أعراض ١٩٨٤ الأورويلية
لست شيوعيًّا
الخطر على الإنسان
مشكلة صارخة لا مهرب منها
خطوات نحو السَّلام
***
::خُلاصة نظرية العقل والمادة عند رَسِل::
======================
"لا العقل ولا المادة هما الأصل؛ فكلاهما وهم. بل هما طريقتان مختلفتان في تنظيم الوقائع المحايدة نفسها وهي تلك التي نسميها الخبرة. وفي هذه الحالة تكون الحادثة عقلية ومادية في وقت معًا."

أولًا: العالم مكون من أحداث لا من أشياء ذوات حالات تختلف، أو على الأصح أن كل ما لنا الحق في وصف العالم به يمكن أن ينص عليه على افتراض أن هناك أحداثًا لا أشياء. فالأشياء، بمعزل عن الأحداث، فرض لا ضرورة له، وهذا ليس جديدًا كل الجدة إذ قد قال به هرقليطس، وإن كانت نظرة هرقليطس قد ضايقت أفلاطون فاعتبرت لهذا السبب منذ ذلك الحين نظرية غير لائقة، ولكن هذا الاعتبار لا يصح أن يرعبنا في هذه الأيام الديموقراطية، فإذا قبلنا نظرته فسينحل نوعان من الكيان المفترض: الأشخاص من جهة والأشياء المادية من جهة أخرى، فالنحو يفترض أن ((أنت)) و((أنا)) كيانان على درجة متفاوتة من الدوام لهما حالات متغيرة ولكن الكيان الدائم فرض غير ضروري، وحسبنا الحالات المتغيرة لنكون قد قلنا كل ما نعلمه في الموضوع، وهذا بالضبط ما نستطيع أن نقوله عن الماديات. فإنك حينما تشتري رغيفًا من دكان ما تظن أنك قد اشتريت شيئًا ((تستطيع أخذه للمنزل))، ولكن الحقيقة أنك اشتريت سلسلة وقائع ترتبط حلقاتها حسب قوانين سببية معينة.

ثا��يًا: إن موضوعات الحس كما نحسها مباشرة، أي هذا الذي نراه حين نرى الكرسى والمناضد والشمس والقمر وما إلى ذلك، أجزاء من عقولنا، وأن ما نعتقد أننا نراه ليس كل العالم المادي ولا بعضه وهذا أيضًا ليس جديدًا؛ إذ قال به بركلي وأيده فيه هيوم، ولو أن الحجج التي عليه ليست حجج بركلي، فإني أرى أن لو نظر عدد من الناس إلى شيء ما من وجهات مختلفة فإن انطباعهم البصري سيختلف حسب قوانين الرؤية وحسب كيفية سقوط الضوء، ولهذا فالانطباع منها هو ذلك الشيء ((المحايد)) الذي يظن كل منهم أنه يراه، وأرى أيضًا أن علم الطبيعة يقودنا إلى الإيمان بالتسلسل العلي الذي يظن كل منهم أنه يراه، وأرى أيضًا أن علم الطبيعة يقودنا إلى الإيمان بالتسلسل العلي الذي يبدأ من الأشياء ويصل إلى أعضائنا الحسية، وإنه لمن أغرب الغرائب أن تكون الحلقة الأخيرة في هذه السلسلة العلية مطابقة للحلقة الأولى.

ثالثًا: ينبغي أن أعترف أنه قد لا يوجد شيء كعالم المادة متميز عن خبراتي، ولكني يجب أن أبرز أن رفض الأدلة التي تثبت المادة تقتضي أيضًا رفض الأدلة التي تجعلني أومن بوجود ماضيّ العقلي، وأزيد على ذلك أنه ما من أحد يرفض مخلصًا هذه المعتقدات التي لا دليل عليها إلا هذه الأدلة، فإني أسلم أن ثمة أحداثًا لا أختبرها وإن كان بعض هذه الأحداث يمكن استخلاصه مما اختبرته فعلًا، والدلائل التي يمكنني أن أوردها على الأسباب الخارجية لخبراتي تختص بالتركيب وحده لا بالكيفية وذلك باستثناء ما يتعلق بالظواهر العقلية، ولا وجود للأدلة التي يمكن الأخذ بها إلا في علم الطبيعة النظري، فهي مجردة ورياضية ولا تشير أي إشارة إلى الخصائص الجوانية للماديات.

رابعًا: إذا لقي ما سبق قوله القبول، فلا بد أن يكون ثمة نوعان للمكان أحدهم ما يعرف بالخبرة، وخصوصًا الخبرة البصرية، والآخر مكان علم الطبيعة الذي لا تتأتى معرفه إلا استنتاجًا والذي يترابط بالقوانين العلية، وقد أدى عدم التمييز بين هذين النوعين للمكان إلى كثير من الخلط. إن المكان المادي، على خلاف المكان الإحساسي، يقوم على أساس التجاور السببي، والمجاورات السببية للإدراكات الحسية تتصل بالمنبهات الطبيعية السابقة عليها مباشرة وبالاستجابات الطبيعية التالية لها مباشرة، والتحديد المكاني الدقيق في المكان الطبيعي لا ينتمي إلى الأحداث المفردة، بل إلى مجموعات الأحداث التي يعتبرها علم الطبيعة حالة موقوتة لقطعة من المادة لو أنه (علم الطبيعة) يستغرق في مثل هذه اللغة العتيقة. والفكرة حلقة من مجموعة أحداث ربما نحسب للأغراض العلمية الطبيعية منطقة من المخ، وإذن فالقول أن فكرة ما هي في المخ، هو في حقيقته اختصار للجملة التالية: (الفكرة حلقة من مجموعة أحداث متآنية)، تكوِّن في مجموعها منطقة في المخ» ولست بهذا أدعي أن الأفكار تتحيز في مكان سيكولوجي إلا في حالة الانطباعات الحسية (إذا صح أن تُسمَّى هذه (أفكارًا).

خامسًا: إن قطعة من المادة هي في حقيقتها مجموعة أحداث ترتبط بقوانين علية هي القوانين العلية الطبيعية، بينما العقل مجموعة أحداث ترتبط بقوانين علية هي القوانين العلية النفسية، وإذن فلا يصح وصف حادثة ما بأنها عقلية أو بأنها مادية لصفة في كيانها، بل توصف بهذا أو بذاك حسب سياقها العلي، فإنه من الممكن كل الإمكان للحادثة أن تتسق في كلا السياقين العليين، السياق الذي تختص به الطبيعة والسياق الذي تختص به السيكولوجيا، وفي هذه الحالة تكون الحادثة عقلية ومادية في وقت معًا، ولا صعوبة بعد اليوم في هذا أكثر من تصور إنسان ما خبازًا مرة وأبًا مرة أخرى، وما دمنا لا نعلم شيئًا عن الصفة الكيانية للأحداث الطبيعية إلا حين تكون أحداثًا عقلية تقع لنا في خبرتنا مباشرة، فلن نستطيع أن نقول إن العالم المادي خارج رؤوسنا يختلف عن العالم العقلي أو لا يختلف.
...

مثال:- ((الوردة))
وجهة نظر العقل: الوردة تُدرك من خلال اللون والرائحة، وهما تجارب ذهنية أو إحساسات داخل العقل.
وجهة نظر العلم الفيزيائي: الوردة عبارة عن ذبذبات ضوئية تنعكس عن سطحها، وحركة كمية في الذرات والجزيئات.
نظرية رسل (الخبرة): الواقع يتكون من وقائع محايدة تتجلى في شكلين: كعقل (تجربة ذهنية) وكمادة (ظواهر فيزيائية). وهما وجهان لعملة واحدة، حسب السياق الذي يُنظر فيه إلى الظاهرة.
*.*.*.*.*.*

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this many years ago, and it has been sitting on my bookshelves ever since. I picked it up again last week and was pleasantly surprised to see how well it has aged. The ideas and topics remain relevant except for the few passages about the threat of a nuclear exchange between major world powers (which I hope we have reduced significantly since the 1950s)and a bit about McCarthyism in the U.S. (also, I hope, a thing of the past). The prose is exceptional. The essays on prominent people that Russell had met and the discussion of their ideas and personalities rivals similar passages from the best fiction. The writing is interesting and entertaining and even includes bits of humor. His position that individual freedom has declined since 1914 may come as a shock to contemporary readers, but he illustrates why he believes this is the case and it serves as a cautionary reminder of what has been lost.
I highly recommend this book, especially to readers of philosophy or recent history.

[Javiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este libro, el filosofo Russell nos habla de su vida y opinión a través de muchas aristas, por ejemplo, nos muestra como ciertas personas lo han influenciado a lo largo de su vida.

Es interesante el ver como ciertas cosas han cambiado tan poco a lo largo de los años CONSIDERANDO que es un libro publicado en el año 1960. Guerra, humanidad, ciencias e historias son alguno de los puntos que se nos muestra en este libro, pero haciendo principal incapié en la guerra y considero que este es uno de los pilares en los que más concorde con él.

''La persecucuón del éxito social, en forma de prestigio o de poder o de ambos, es el obstáculo más importante para la felicidad en una sociedad de compentencia.''

Hay cosas que hay que tomar con pinzas, en muchas cosas no estuve de acuerdo con él, pero eso es lo importante de la lectura de estos libros: expandir el conocimiento.

''No puedo dejar de pensar que, si los hombres que están en el poder estuvieran impregnados con el sentido de la historia, encontrarían un medio de evitar la catástrofe que todos vemos aproximarse y que nadie desea.''

Cuando leí la frase anterior estaba demasiado impactada, es demasiado REAL. Todavía está el espiritú de combatir uno contra otros, de pelear y ser lo mejor de lo mejor sin importar el daño que hacemos tanto para otros (personas, animales y plantas) como nosotros. Difícil cambiar este pensamiento cuando la gente que está en el poder no se interesa en la historia para aprender de los errores.

Lo recomiendo para quien tenga tiempo, no es un libro que se puede devorar en una pasada, hay que digerirlo tranquilamente.

Me ha gustado bastante a pesar de no concordar en tanto, pero creo que en lo esencial sí.



''

[JCJBergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Browsing for literary gems in a used bookshop I spotted this one hidden away under a genre of books that were not of this piece. Upon picking it up I realised it was not only written by the great philosopher Bertrand Russell, but the copy is a first edition from 1956! A very lucky find indeed, especially as it was only £2.00 to purchase.

This is a mixture of autobiographical essays and philosophical/political essays. Russell's insights in both cases remain to be particularly relevant even in context to the modern day. Some sections throughout were more interesting than others which makes this piece a good book to flick through from time to time to soak in some of Russell's wise insights and timely anecdotes.

The following quotations were specifically interesting for me:

“Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it - so at least it seems to me - is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river - small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if; with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will be not unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do, and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.” // ‘New Hopes for a changing World’

“On reaching the age of eighty it is reasonable to suppose that the bulk of one's work is done, and that what remains to do will be of less importance. The serious part of my life ever since boyhood has been devoted to two different objects which for a long time remained separate and have only in recent years united into a single whole. I wanted, on the one hand, to find out whether anything could be known; and, on the other hand, to do whatever might be possible towards creating a happier world. Up to the age of 38 I gave most of my energies to the first of these tasks. I was troubled by scepticism and unwillingly forced to the conclusion that most of what passes for knowledge is open to reasonable doubt. I wanted certainty in the kind of way in which people want religious faith. I thought that certainty is more likely to be found in mathematics than elsewhere. But I discovered that many mathematical demonstrations, which my teachers expected me to accept, were full of fallacies, and that, if certainty were indeed discoverable in mathematics, it would be in a new kind of mathematics, with more solid foundations than those that had hitherto been thought secure. But as the work proceeded, I was continually reminded of the fable about the elephant and the tortoise. Having constructed an elephant upon which the mathematical world could rest, I found the elephant tottering, and proceeded to construct a tortoise to keep the elephant from falling. But the tortoise was no more secure than the elephant, and after some twenty years of very arduous toil, I came to the conclusion that there was nothing more that I could do in the way of making mathematical knowledge indubitable.” // ‘Reflections on my 80th Birthday’

“It might be objected that it is right to hate those who do harm. I do not think so. If you hate them, it is only too likely that you will become equally harmful; and it is very unlikely that you will induce them to abandon their evil ways. Hatred of evil is itself a kind of bondage to evil. The way out is through understanding, not through hate. I am not advocating non-resistance. But I am saying that resistance, if it is to be effective in preventing the spread of evil, should be combined with the greatest degree of understanding and the smallest degree of force that is compatible with the survival of the good things that we wish to preserve.” // ‘Knowledge and Wisdom’

“Mankind, owing to science and scientific technique, are unified for evil but are not yet unified for good. They have learnt the technique of world-wide mutual destruction but not the more desirable technique of world-wide co-operation. The failure to learn this more desirable technique has its source in emotional limitations, in the confining of sympathy to one's own group, and in indulgence in hatred and fear towards other groups. Worldwide cooperation with our present technique could abolish poverty and war, and could bring to all mankind a level of happiness and well-being such as has never hitherto existed But although this is obvious men still prefer to confine co-operation to their own groups and to indulge towards other groups a fierce hostility which fills daily life with terrifying visions of disaster.” // ‘A Philosophy for our Time’

“History makes one aware that there is no finality in human affairs; there is not a static perfection and an unimprovable wisdom to be achieved. Whatever wisdom we may have achieved is a small matter in comparison with what is possible. Whatever beliefs we may cherish, even those that we deem most important, are not likely to last for ever; and, if we imagine that they embody eternal verities, the future is likely to make a mock of us. Cock-sure certainty is the source of much that is worst in our present world, and it is something of which the contemplation of history ought to cure us, not only or chiefly because there were wise men in the past, but because so much that was thought wisdom turned out to be folly — which suggests that much of our own supposed wisdom is no better. I do not mean to maintain that we should lapse into a lazy scepticism. We should hold our beliefs, and hold them strongly. Nothing great is achieved without passion, but underneath the passion there should always be that large impersonal survey which sets limits to actions that our passions inspire.” // ‘History as an Art’

(Writing advice that Russell learned throughout his life, from the essay ‘How I Write’)

"He [Logan Pearsall Smith] gave me various simple rules, of which I remember only two: "Put a comma every four words” and "never use ‘and' except at the beginning of a sentence”. His most emphatic advice was that one must always re-write. I conscientiously tried this, but found that my first draft was almost always better than my second. This discovery has saved me an immense amount of time. I do not, of course, apply it to the substance, but only to the form. When I discover an error of an important kind, I re-write the whole.”

1. Never use a long word if a short word will do.
2. If you want to make a statement with a great many qualifications, put some of the qualifications in separate sentences.
3. Do not let the beginning of your sentence lead the reader to an expectation which is contradicted by the end.

[Carlos Hugo Winckler Godinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Para a proposta do livro, de ser um ensaio sobre vários temas da filosofia e as influências de outras pessoas no autor, muito bom. Impossível ler o livro e não admirar o filósofo pelo seu pensamento, principalmente pelo sentimento de imparcialidade que ele repassa, sem ser monótono.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MARVELOUS (OFTEN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL) SELECTION OF ESSAYS

Bertrand Arthur William Russell (1872-1970) was an influential British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and political activist. In 1950, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in recognition of his many books. [NOTE: page numbers below refer to the 246-page paperback edition.]

This book contains a delightful collection of essays, beginning with “Six Autobiographical Essays” [including “Why I Took to Philosophy” and “Experiences as a Pacifist in the First World War”], including “Portraits from Memory” about persons such as George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Joseph Conrad, George Santayana, Alfred North Whitehead, D. H. Lawrence, and others. There are also various other essays, such as “The Cult of ‘Common Usage,’” “How I Write,” “Why I am Not a Communist,” etc.

He admits in an essay, “I have come to think that the mathematical and logical wrappings in which the naked truth is dressed go to deeper layers than I had supposed… Take, for instance, numbers: when you count, you count ‘things,’ but ‘things’ have been invented by human beings for their own convenience. This is not obvious on the earth’s surface because… there is a certain degree of apparent stability. But it would be obvious if one could live on the sun there is nothing but perpetually changing whirlwinds of gas. If you lived on the sun, you would never have formed the idea of ‘things,’ and you would never had thought of counting because there would be nothing to count. In such an environment, Hegel’s philosophy would seem to be common sense, and what we consider common sense would appear as fantastic metaphysical speculation.” (Pg. 40)

In another essay, he notes, “Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young that is a justification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter …that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it… is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal… and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life... The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome.” (Pg. 52)

In an essay on John Stuart Mill, he observes, “what should a lover of liberty wish to see done in the schools? I think the ideal but somewhat Utopian answer would be that the pupils should be qualified as far as possible to form a reasonable judgment on controversial questions in which they are likely to have to act. This would require… a training in judicial habits of thought, and … access to impartial supplies of knowledge. In this way the pupil would be prepared for a genuine freedom of choice on becoming adult. We cannot give freedom to the child, but we can give him a preparation for freedom; and this is what education ought to do.” (Pg. 141)

In the essay, “Mind and Matter,” he suggests, “a piece of matter is a group of events connected by … the causal laws of physics. A mind is a group of events connected to causal laws, namely, the laws of psychology. An event is not rendered either mental or material by any intrinsic quality, but only by its causal relations. It is perfectly possible for an event to have both the causal relations characteristic of physics and those characteristic of psychology. In that case, the event is both mental and material at once… The supposed problems of the relations of mind and matter arises only through mistakenly treating both as ‘things’ and not as groups of events. With the theory that I have ben suggesting, the whole problem vanishes.” (Pg. 164-165)

In the essay “How I Write,” he significantly admits, “my development has not been by any means rectilinear. There was a time, in the first years of this century, which I had more florid and rhetorical ambitions. This was the time when I wrote ‘A Free Man’s Worship,’ a work of which I do not now think well.” (Pg. 212)

He proposes, “The increase of organization in the modern world demands new institutions if anything in the way of liberty is to be preserved… There is, so far as I can see, only one possible remedy, and that is the establishment of a second police force designed to prove innocence, not guilt… If a man is accused, for example, of a murder, all the resources of the State… are employed to prove his guilt, whereas it is left to his individual efforts to prove his innocence. If he employs detectives, they have to be private detectives paid out of his own pocket or that of his friends… All this is quite unjust. It is at least as much in the public interest to prove that an innocent man has not committed a crime, as it is to probe that a guilty man has committed it.” (Pg. 225-226)

These essays, for anyone who loves Russell’s writing and ideas, are fascinating; this book will be “must reading” for anyone seriously interested in his life and views.

[Bill Engleson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It helps to be reminded that rebellion and opposition to the state is not a new phenomena. Russell has a lot to teach us. Great little book.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, thoughtful and surprisingly readable essays from the great philosopher-mathematician-political-thinker.

[Bartek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jakie to było dobre...

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is light reading. Very interesting and funny. The philosophy that crops in is bad, unfortunately.

[Muaz Jalil · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual one cannot go wrong with Russell.

Initially, he was an imperialist and supported the Boer war but in 1901 there was a conversion and he became anti-imperialist.

He prophesied that China might become a militaristic power and that in future it might only be the US, Russia, and China!

He provides a list or order of things: security against disasters, abolition of absolute or extreme poverty, third economic well-being and tolerance, and finally great opportunity for personal initiative {sen's capability}.

In his reflection on his 80th birthday, he started creating a happier world and finding truth was his key drive. He also suggests, that while institutions are important, they are not the only approach. Diversity in social development is required.

Sidney Webb has said "Marriage is the waste paper basket of the emotions" Russell states it's a disgrace that the world had to wait this long for women's equality.

He is critical of communism arguing state power, which is undemocratic, can create an engine of tyranny. But then also criticizes the US for its brutal police force and argues it impedes freedom (Wow how could he predict this!l

He is also pro-gay rights and argues against state legislation. He talks about how material goods should be distributed based on equity and justice. This cannot be via unrestricted liberty or laissez-faire (no one should have too much).

Hatred of evil is a bondage to evil. He argued global cooperation can end poverty.
He is definitely against communism and argues why I am not a communist.

[Ali Abbas · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It might be objected that it is right to hate those who do harm. I do not think so. If you hate them, it is only too likely that you will become equally harmful; and it is very unlikely that you will induce them to abandon their evil ways. Hatred of evil is itself a kind of bondage to evil. The way out is through understanding, not through hate. I am not advocating non­ resistance. But I am saying that resistance, if it is to be effective in preventing the spread of evil, should be combined with the greatest degree of understanding and the smallest degree of force that is compatible with the survival of the good things that we wish to preserve.”

[Mounaim Zaryouhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب جميل يحكي فيه راسل عن أبرز الشخصيات التي التقاها في حياته. كما يورد في نهاية الكتاب بعض المقالات حول مواضيع شائكة كالعقل و المادة، الطريق الى السعادة، وبعض الحلول للوصول الى السلم العالمي و تجنب الحرب العالمية الثالثة المدمرة. برتراند راسل فيلسوف و رياضي تتميز كتبه بعمق فكري و منطقي رهيب مع أسلوب كتابة متميز بالوضوح و تجنب التجريد المبالغ فيه و الجمل المعقّدة. ملاحظتي حول هذه النسخة بالعربية هي كثرة الأخطاء في الترجمة و عدم التوفيق في ترجمة بعض المقالات. ولهذا سأعيد قراءة نفس الكتاب بلغته الأصلية الإنجليزية.

[Lorenzo Bruno]

Some of the better essays were:

- How to Grow Old

- History As an Art

- The Road to Happiness

And all of the Portraits from Memory essays. Mind and Matter was especially boring; this was not because I have no interest metaphysics.

One of the chief shortcomings of the book is that the date an essay was published is not mentioned anywhere in the book.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather boring and uninspired. Definitely written for a "popular" audience... There were many repetitions in the sketches of people Russell knew that I recognized from Vol I & II of his autobiography - though I'm unsure which came first. In general, the book held my attention but wasn't particularly impressive or remarkable.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read with essay topics and philosophical discussions that remain relevant. Particularly his essays on Liberty, governments, and science. Would highly recommend.

[Sarah F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend. Great ideas.

[A. B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply adore Russell's way of thinking and writing. Marvelous book, an insight on every page- with Russell's trademark wit of course. Loved the autobiographical sections.

[Karen Young]

Favorite quote is “Heroic lives are inspired by heroic ambitions, and the young man who thinks that there is nothing important to be done is pretty sure to do nothing important.”

[John Badger · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of his best, great anecdotal accounts of other famous people Russell met.

[Akbar Madan · Rating 4 out of 5]

تتمنى وانت مهتم بالفلسفة ان تلتقي مع فيلسوف تقضى معه بعض من وقته الثمين يطلعك على محطات حياته وكيف تشكلت وبمن تأثر وأهم الفلاسفة اللذين قرأ لهم وكانوا زملائه في الجامعة ، وأهم القضايا التي شغلت وتشغل ذهنه سابقًا وحاضرًا ، هذا الكتاب يدخلك عالم رسل الخاص تستمع وتستمتع في الآن نفسه بملاحظاته حول الفلسفة والفلاسفة ويجيب عما قد يخطر في ذهنك من الأسئلة حول أهم المواضيع الفكرية والفلسفية .

[Yunling · Rating 4 out of 5]

反戰反共的人生怎麼走過。他與朋友的書信也好多有趣的畫面（這部分是此書好看的地方）。至於他一生結過四次婚，是不是懂婚姻愛情、教育涵養等，這就見人見智。