Bertrand Russell

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 3

Bertrand Russell

Political Ideals. By Bertrand Russell. Unwin Books. 96 pp. Mysticism and Logic. By I Bertrand Rnssell. Unwin ’ - Books. 167 pp. Bertrand Russell, The Passionate Sceptic. By Alan Wood. Unwin Books. 215' PP“Political Ideals” is an ex-j amination of capitalism, socialism and other types of political organisation in the; light of Russell's strongest, conviction—that everything of value comes ultimately! from the individual. The book 1 is of historical interest be-; cause of the circumstances under which these sentiments were written. The material was intended to be delivered as lectures at the time of the 1914-18 war, but this.was pre-; vented by the War Office, which suspected Russell of in-; citing industrial disaffection ] in order to stop the war. The first chapter, on poli-l tics in general, was to have been given as a lecture in; Glasgow in 1917, but the Government forbade Russell | to enter this district just] before. The address was; given by a trade union official i who, at its conclusion, announced to the audience that he had been giving Russell’s banned lecture. In "Mysticism and Logie” Russell reprints a number of articles which have previously appeared in learned journals. These give the writer’s views on a wide range of topics touching upon the line of demarcation between what it subjective, or intellectually cloudy, and what is objective, or capable of logical demonstration. In these days it is not always fashionable to agree with many of Russell’s theories, but one cannot help admire the depth of thought and clarity of expression embodied in these articles on a very difficult topic. The book includes five essays of general interest in topics such as mathematics and the place of science in education, and five I of a more “technical” nature, > touching upon scientific method in philosophy, the] ; ultimate constituents of j matter, the relation of senseIdata to physics, the notion of i cause and knowledge by i acquaintance and by descrip-1 tion. * Alan Wood’s book is a live-| ly biography of one of the liveliest minds of this cen-I tury. Wood has captured the spirit of Russell’s attitude to-j wards the world, an attitude j expressed by the philosopher in a letter written from Brixton Prison in 1918 —“I want to stand at the rim of the world and peer into the darkness beyond, and see a little more than others have seen, of the strange shapes of mystery that inhabit that unknown night. ... I want to bring back into the world of men, some little bit of new wisdom. There is a little wisdom in the world; Hereclitus. Spinoza, and a saying here and there. I want to add to it, even if only ever so little.” Russell has certainly added to the world’s wisdom, but not by “only ever so little.” Uris man’s contribution towards our understanding of the world is in itself a challenge to any would-be biographer. Mr Wood, a philosopher of repute in his own right, copes well with his ambitious task.