Bertrand Russell
Pre-reading
Bertrand Russell (May1872-February1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, essayist, social critic and political activist. He is considered one of the main founders of modern analytic philosophy; he is held to be one of the 20th century’s premier logicians. In addition, his popular writings on a wide variety of topics in both the humanities and the natural sciences have benefited generations of general readers. In 1950 he was awarded Nobel Prize in Literature “in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought”. His major works include The Principles of Mathematics,History of Western Philosophy,The Conquest of Happiness, to name just a few.
In the preface to the booklet The Conquest of Happiness, published in 1930, Russell says, “No profound philosophy or deep erudition will be found... All that I claim for the recipes offered to the reader is that they are such as are confirmed by my own experience and observation, and they have increased my own happiness whenever I have acted in accordance with them.”
The Happy Man is the last chapter of The Conquest of Happiness.
Prompts for Your Reading
1.According to the author, happiness depends on external and internal aspects. Which aspect is the focus of the essay?
2.What is the main cause of unhappiness when external circumstances are not definitely unfavorable?
3.How can a man achieve happiness? Why does the author mention prison in Paragraph 1?
4.What does “live objectively” mean?
5.How do you understand Russell’s interpretation of self-denial?
6.In what ways is a hedonist different from a moralist regarding the issue of happiness?
7.What is Russell’s interpretation of love?
8.Russell supports his argument on the recipe for happiness by illustration (giving examples) and comparison and contrast. Locate them and explain how effective they are.