Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Preliminaries
- Part II Atheisms in History
- Part III Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment
- Part IV Classical Modernity: Philosophical and Scientific Currents
- Part V Classical Modernity: Social and Political Currents
- 23 The French Revolution
- 24 Freethinkers, Atheists, and Anticlericals: Spanish American Struggles for Independence
- 25 Marx and Marxisms
- 26 Nineteenth-Century Russia
- 27 Secularism and Humanism
- 28 Bertrand Russell
- 29 Robert Ingersoll
- 30 Early Women’s Movement
- 31 Early African American Secularism
- Part VI Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Intellectual and Artistic Currents
- Part VII Lived Atheism in the Twentieth- and Twenty-First Centuries: Case-Studies
- Part VIII Emerging Atheisms in the Twenty-First Century
- Part IX Conclusion
- Index
- References
28 - Bertrand Russell
from Part V - Classical Modernity: Social and Political Currents
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 September 2021
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Preliminaries
- Part II Atheisms in History
- Part III Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment
- Part IV Classical Modernity: Philosophical and Scientific Currents
- Part V Classical Modernity: Social and Political Currents
- 23 The French Revolution
- 24 Freethinkers, Atheists, and Anticlericals: Spanish American Struggles for Independence
- 25 Marx and Marxisms
- 26 Nineteenth-Century Russia
- 27 Secularism and Humanism
- 28 Bertrand Russell
- 29 Robert Ingersoll
- 30 Early Women’s Movement
- 31 Early African American Secularism
- Part VI Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Intellectual and Artistic Currents
- Part VII Lived Atheism in the Twentieth- and Twenty-First Centuries: Case-Studies
- Part VIII Emerging Atheisms in the Twenty-First Century
- Part IX Conclusion
- Index
- References
Summary
Lord Bertrand Russell (3rd Earl Russell, 1872–1970) is a grandmaster in twentieth-century philosophy and likely its foremost freethinker and public intellectual. Were it not so well documented, Russell’s biography might appear exaggerated or even fantastical. He was a member of the British aristocracy, the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the past century,1 a Nobel laureate (literature, 1950), and an indefatigable champion for social justice. Russell’s convictions twice landed him in prison (once at the age of 80), cost him academic positions, and at times ostracized him from all but his closest confidants. Russell was also incredibly industrious with the pen. Combining his popular and academic publications, he authored more than 70 books and over 2000 articles. As a man of letters, he penned in the tens of thousands, including correspondences with numerous heads of state, cultural icons, and the who’s-who of the twentieth-century intelligentsia.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge History of Atheism , pp. 512 - 530Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
References
Primary Sources
Russell, B. 1957. Why I Am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects, ed. Edwards, P.. New York: Simon and Schuster. A collection of popular papers related to religion – essential essays in this collection include the title chapter (probably the most famous of Russell’s religious statements), “The free man’s worship,” “Has religion made useful contributions to civilization,” and “What I believe.”Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1999. Russell on Religion: Selections from the Writings of Bertrand Russell, ed. Greenspan, L. and Andersson, S.. London: Routledge. A valuable collection of primary source essays with commentary; sections include Russell’s personal religious statements, religion and philosophy, religion and science, religion and morality, and religion and history.Google Scholar
Secondary Sources
Russell, B. 1957. Why I Am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects, ed. Edwards, P.. New York: Simon and Schuster. A collection of popular papers related to religion – essential essays in this collection include the title chapter (probably the most famous of Russell’s religious statements), “The free man’s worship,” “Has religion made useful contributions to civilization,” and “What I believe.”Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1999. Russell on Religion: Selections from the Writings of Bertrand Russell, ed. Greenspan, L. and Andersson, S.. London: Routledge. A valuable collection of primary source essays with commentary; sections include Russell’s personal religious statements, religion and philosophy, religion and science, religion and morality, and religion and history.Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1983 [1888–89]. “The Greek exercises,” in The Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell, Volume 1: Cambridge Essays 1888–99, ed. Blackwell, K., Brink, A., Griffin, N., et al. London: Allen & Unwin, 3–20. Russell’s teenage reflections on religion, which reveal his transition from Christian theist to agnostic rationalist.Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1999 [1914]. “Religion and the churches,” in Russell on Religion: Selections from the Writings of Bertrand Russell, ed. Greenspan, L. and Andersson, S.. London: Routledge, 153–66. Russell’s self-described “least unsatisfactory” account of his personal ethos.Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1961 [1943]. “An outline of intellectual rubbish,” in The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell, ed. Egner, R. E. and Denonn, L. E.. London: Allen & Unwin, 45–71. An essay describing beliefs that were once widely accepted but are now generally accepted as rubbish, with a comparison to more recently accepted beliefs that should be recognized as equally nonsensical – also connects the psychology of secular dogma to religious dogma.Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1997 [1953]. “Is there a god?” in The Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell, Volume 11: Last Philosophical Will and Testament, 1943–68, ed. Slater, J. G.. London: Routledge, 542–8. An article advancing a number of intellectual reasons against traditional theology and God’s existence.Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1961. Religion and Science. New York: Oxford University Press. An account of the historical conflicts between religion and science, with a commentary on the importance of a scientific temperance in avoiding new forms of dogma.Google Scholar
Griffin, N. 1995. “Bertrand Russell as a religious critic.” Studies in Religion 24(1), 47–58. A description of the culture and private atmosphere surrounding Russell’s early acceptance, and eventual rejection, of religion – with historical placement of Russell’s overall religious outlook.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grayling, A. C. 2002. Russell: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. A short and accessible introduction to Russell’s life and philosophy – the section devoted to religion is on pages 100–104.Google Scholar
Landini, G. 2014. Russell. London: Routledge. A detailed technical account of Russell’s life and philosophy, with a notable chapter, “Icarus,” devoted to Russell’s religious and ethical views.Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1957. Why I Am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects, ed. Edwards, P.. New York: Simon and Schuster. A collection of popular papers related to religion – essential essays in this collection include the title chapter (probably the most famous of Russell’s religious statements), “The free man’s worship,” “Has religion made useful contributions to civilization,” and “What I believe.”Google Scholar
Russell, B. 1999. Russell on Religion: Selections from the Writings of Bertrand Russell, ed. Greenspan, L. and Andersson, S.. London: Routledge. A valuable collection of primary source essays with commentary; sections include Russell’s personal religious statements, religion and philosophy, religion and science, religion and morality, and religion and history.Google Scholar