From: Mark Steven Heyman (markheyman@infoproconsulting.com)
Date: Wed Nov 03 2004 - 00:40:03 GMT
On 2 Nov 2004 at 22:28, Sam Norton wrote:
I mean that he was serially unfaithful to his wives, screwed up his
children (they all committed suicide I think), was generally an
unbearable shit to get close to. That sort of thing....
msh says:
O, you mean that he had human failings. Ok.
sam:
But he was good at logic, until about 1910 or so. (This makes it
sound like I have no respect for him at all, but that's not right. I
think he's a fascinating character - just not someone I would have
thought of as a hero, that's all - hence my surprise)
msh:
Hmmm... a fascinatiing character... Sounds more than a bit
condescending to me, I'm afraid. Here's a very short list of things
he wrote after 1910:
The Problems Of Philosophy [1912]
Principles of Social Reconstruction [1916]
Roads to Freedom: Socialism, Anarchism and Syndicalism [1917]
Why Men Fight: A Method of Abolishing the International Duel [1917]
The Analysis of Mind [1921]
Analysis of Matter [1927]
An Outline of Philosophy [1927]
Why I Am Not a Christian, and Other Essays[1927]
The Conquest of Happiness [1930]
In Praise of Idleness [1932]
Power: A New Social Analysis [1938]
Human Knowledge, Its Scope and Limits. [1948]
Authority and the Individual [1949]
Philosophy of Logical Atomism [1949]
What Desires Are Politically Important?"
(1950; Nobel Prize acceptance speech)
The Russell-Einstein Manifesto [1955]
War Crimes of Vietnam [1967]
The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell [1967-69]
msh:
> Of Witt and BR, who would you say led a more
> Christ-like existence?
sam:
Undoubtedly LW, in lots of different ways, eg giving away a fortune
to his sisters, because he felt they were the only people who
wouldn't be corrupted by sudden wealth. But you're right that he
should have got laid more! (he was too screwed up about his
homosexuality).
msh:
So you figure a single act of monetary generosity toward family
members outweighs a lifetime of Peace and Human Rights and Nuclear
Disarmament Activism, including creating The BR Peace Foundation and
being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? Come now. I think your
knickers are twisted over his atheism.
But, you're right, "hero" might be too strong a word. I used it
because you did, with respect to Witt.
Best,
Mark
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