History, Ethics & Morality, Political, Cultural, Social Services & Welfare, Philosophy, Anthropology 

Bertrand Arthur William Russell (1872-1970) was an influential British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and political activist. In 1950, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in recognition of his many books such as A History of Western Philosophy, The Problems of Philosophy, The Philosophy of Logical Atomism, The Analysis of Mind, Our Knowledge of the External World, Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits, Mysticism and Logic, etc.

[NOTE: page numbers below refer to the original 79-page hardcover edition.]

This 1949 book contains the Reith Lectures Russell gave over the BBC. In the first lecture, he says, “In our own day two widespread creeds embrace the loyalty of a very large part of mankind. One of these, the creed of Communism, has the advantage of intense fanaticism and embodiment in a Sacred Book. The other, less definite, is nevertheless portent---it may be called ‘The American Way of Life.’ America, formed by immigration from many different countries, has no BIOLOGICAL unity, but it has a unity quite as strong as that of European nations.” (Pg. 6)

He continues, “Always when we pass beyond the limits of the family it is the external enemy which supplies the cohesive force. In times of safety we can afford to hate our neighbor, but in time of danger we must love him. People do not, at most times, love those whom they find sitting next to them in a bus, but during the blitz they did. It is this that makes the difficulty of devising means of world-wide unity. A world-state, if it were firmly established, would have no enemies to fear, and would therefore be in danger of breaking down through lack of cohesive force… If the unification of mankind is ever to be realized, it will be necessary to find ways of circumventing our largely unconscious primitive ferocity, partly by establishing a reign of law, and partly by finding innocent outlets for our competitive instincts.” (Pg. 6-7) In the second lecture, he adds, “There will be no scope for patriotism in the affairs of the world-government; the driving force will have to be found in self-interest and benevolence, without the potent incentives of hate and fear.” (Pg. 22-23)

He acknowledges in the third lecture, “Religious and moral innovators have had an immense effect upon human life… on the whole profoundly beneficial… We owe it to the moral innovators who first attempted to make morality a universal and not merely a tribal matter, that there has come to be a disapproval of slavery, a feeling of duty towards prisoners of war, a limitation of the powers of husbands and fathers, and a recognition… that subject races ought not to be merely exploited for the benefit of their conquerors.” (Pg. 28)

He cautions, “In a totalitarian state such events as the rise of Buddhism and Christianity are scarcely possible, and not even by the greatest heroism can a moral reformer acquire any influence whatever. This is a new fact in human history, brought about by much increased control over individuals which the modern technique of government has made possible. It is a very grave fact, and one which shows how fatal a totalitarian regime must be to every kind of moral progress.” (Pg. 29)

He suggests in the fifth lecture, “The primary aims of government, I suggest, should be three: security, justice, and conservation. These are things of the utmost importance to human happiness, and they are things which only government can bring about. At the same time, no one of them is absolute; each may, in some circumstances, have to be sacrificed in some degree for the sake of a greater degree of some other good.” (Pg. 54-55)

As “broadcast” [rather than “academic”] lectures, these were intended for a “general” audience. They make a useful overview of Russell’s political philosophy late in life (but also prior to his more controversial late “activist” period). 

From Ancient Greek philosophy to the French Revolution to the modern welfare state, in Authority and the Individual Bertrand Russell tackles the perennial questions about the balance between authority and human freedom. With characteristic clarity and deep understanding, he explores the formation and purpose of society, education, moral evolution and social, economical and intellectual progress. First of the famous BBC Reith lectures, this wonderful collection delivers Russell at his intellectual best. - from Amzon