An Abstruse Symbol

Albert Einstein's high review of Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy (1945)

"Bertrand Russell's 'History of Philosophy' is a precious book. I don't know whether one should more admire the delightful freshness and originality or the sensitivity of the sympathy with distant times and remote mentalities on the part of this great thinker. I regard it as fortunate that our so dry and also brutal generation can point to such a wise, honourable, bold and at the same time humorous man. It is a work that is in the highest degree pedagogical which stands above the conflicts of parties and opinions."

― Albert Einstein, The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell (1975), 14. The Return to England, p. 553

A History of Western Philosophy is a conspectus work of Western philosophy from the pre-Socratic philosophers to the early 20th century, it was criticized for its over-generalization and its omissions, particularly from the post-Cartesian period, but nevertheless became extremely popular and is loved to this day by many. It was a true commercial success, and has remained in print from its first publication. The book was written during the Second World War, having its origins in a series of lectures on the history of philosophy that Russell gave at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia during 1941 and 1942. Much of the historical research was done by Russell's third wife Patricia.

The book was published in 1945 in the United States and a year later in the UK. It was re-set as a 'new edition' in 1961, but no new material was added. Corrections and minor revisions were made to printings of the British first edition and for the 1961 new edition; no corrections seem to have been transferred to the American edition (even Spinoza's birth year remains wrong). When Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950, the book was cited as one of those that won him the award.

Bertrand Russell himself had something to say about the book:

"I regarded the early part of my History of Western Philosophy as a history of culture, but in the later parts, where science becomes important, it is more difficult to fit into this framework. I did my best, but I am not at all sure that I succeeded. I was sometimes accused by reviewers of writing not a true history but a biased account of the events that I arbitrarily chose to write of. But to my mind, a man without bias cannot write interesting history if, indeed, such a man exists."

— Bertrand Russell, The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell (1975), 13. America 1938-1944, p. 44

All reactions:

8Françoise Dhulesia, Sem Xtz and 6 others

4

Share

Most relevant



Active

Sushama Karnik

"But to my mind a man without bias cannot write interesting history if, indeed, such man exists." Bertrand Russell . (The Autobiography)

• 2y

  2 years ago
• Like
• Reply

Active

Françoise Dhulesia

Thank you, Sushama, for sharing this post. I like how the scientist he was had found in mathematics the means to satisfy his need for certainty; and the quote you selected is interesting in more than one way.

• 2y

  2 years ago
• Like
• Reply
• Hide

Active

Françoise Dhulesia

This post and B Russell’s words brought me back to what Jean-Jacques ROUSSEAU, the writer and philosopher, wrote in his treatise “L’Emile ou de l’éducation” (“Emile or on education”) (1762). I went through the treatise, found the passage I remembered… 

See more

• 2y

  2 years ago
• Like
• Reply
• Hide
• Edited

Satoshi Okuda

Reading Sushama's writings reminds me of my school days when I was obsessed with reading them! ( ╹◡╹)

• 1y

  a year ago
• Like
• Reply
• See Original (Japanese)
• Hide

Translate All Comments