Yours Faithfully, Bertrand Russell: A Lifelong Fight for Peace, Justice, and Truth in Letters to the Editor

by Bertrand Russell, Ray Perkins Jr. (Editor)

Bertrand Russell was one of the greatest philosophers of our time. In addition, he engaged in a lifelong battle with the forces of injustice — emphasizing the importance of practice as well as theory. His most effective weapon in this struggle was letters to newspapers and magazines, most of which are collected in this volume. Russell exposes the irrationality of leaders and defends the public against the evils of the time, from British conscription in World War I and fascism in the 1930s to McCarthyism in the 1950s and the Vietnam War in the 1960s. These 400 witty, acerbic letters show him brilliantly sparring with both ordinary citizens and the most powerful leaders of the day, touching on everything from war and peace to sexual ethics and religion.

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

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

[Joe Sabet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well-written like all of Russell's work. I wouldn't recommend as a intro to his political and philosophical work because it's limited in topics and depth, as one would suspect from such letters. His History of Western Philosophy, Why I am not a Christian, and other works are must reads. This book is great, but secondary to his other single topic or themed books, in my opinion. I like hearing, for the first time, his take on Vietnam. His Cold War letters were good too

[Joseph Schrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book, which consists mostly of Bertrand Russell's numerous letters to newspapers, to be very revealing of Russell's values, commitments, and beliefs. He was an almost lifelong atheist/agnostic, but one can hardly doubt his sincere concerns for humanity and his efforts to help foster conditions in the world that would conduce to peace and universal well-being.

I, as a devout theist, cannot endorse Russell's repudiation of all religion, but I wish to give him credit where he deserved it -- in his dedicated efforts to stand for what he was convinced to be fairness, justice, and peace in the world. Few men (or women) have been as devoted to seeking peaceful resolutions to the world's political crises (especially regarding the cold war and the American war in Viet Nam) as was Russell.

During my decade-and-a-half excursion into agnosticism, Bertrand Russell was my favorite philosopher. Even now, with a dramatically altered worldview -- that includes daily prayer to the Divine and meditation -- I find few people who have made a public mark on the world to be as sincere in seeking the peace and well-being of humanity as was Russell. I believe that Russell seriously missed the mark with regard to theism and his commitment to its repudiation, but so far as his wisdom and understanding reached, he was a man of strong character and powerful convictions -- albeit subscribing to some views that were, by my reckoning, seriously astray from right thinking.

[loafingcactus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that this book would be a good example of letters-to-the-editor, but as the format has changed considerably it doesn't really apply. The book would be a good read for someone interested in the details of Russell's political activities. It also has few clever moments, such as Russell's comment that Christian values are "historically unimportant since they have never influenced the conduct of Christian communities or prominent Christian individuals." (p. 127) Not as clever as Ghandi's comment on Western Civilization ("it would be a good idea") though.

[Jackson Cyril · Rating 5 out of 5]

An collection of Russell's letters to the editor which provides an excellent introduction to his political thought and activism.