Mortals and Others, Volume II: American Essays 1931-1935

by Bertrand Russell, Harry Ruja (Editor)

'Every man would like to be God, if it were possible; some few find it difficult to admit the impossibility.' - Bertrand Russell
From 1931-1935 Bertrand Russell was one of the regular contributors to the literary pages of the New York American, together with other distinguished authors, such as Aldous Huxley and Vita Sackville-West. Mortals and Others Volume II presents a further selection of his essays, ranging from the politically correct, to the perfectly obscure: from The Prospects of Democracy to Men Versus Insects.
Even though written in the politically heated climate of the 1930s, these essays are surprisingly topical and engaging for the present day reader. Volume II of Mortals and Others serves as a splendid, fresh introduction to the compassionate eclecticism of Bertrand Russell's mind.

Genres: Philosophy

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 25, 2014

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

[Isaac Perez Moncho · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is quite astonishing the relevance of some of the essays. The essays were written from 1931 to 1935, and they cover topics like vegetarianism, euthanasia, and animal rights.
It reminds me of Yuval Noah Harari, with his deep thinking and verbalisation of the obvious.

[Alistair]

Just ordered. I can't wait to read it. Just for those who don't know, it contains the phrase 'The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.' which, variations of which have been on T-shirts and all sorts of stuff.I find Russell's work the equivalence of someone opening a window. Such a fantastic mind.