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The powerful few fear thought even more than death, April 23, 2011
In his book `My philosophical Development', B. Russell reveals that the main influence on his life as a philosopher was not a philosophic problem, but World War I: `One effect of that war was to make it impossible for me to go on living in a world of abstraction.'
He wrote this book during WW I in order to make men averse from war (a truly `real' social reconstruction).
As always, B. Russell takes the bull by the horns and tackles in an outspoken manner all the cardinal problems of every society (authority, State, Church, knowledge, education, war) and Western society in particular (the liberation of women will lead to drastic demographic changes).
Authority, thought, education
All man's institutions have their historic basis in Authority (King, Church, father-husband) and all authorities are against freedom, and, most severely, against freedom of thought.
The few in power `fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible; thought is merciless to privilege and established institutions; thought is anarchic and lawless, indifferent to authority. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of men.'
For the few, the many should be stupid. Their thoughts should not be free and so the few act in their churches, their schools and their universities, instilling prejudices.
But, education should, instead, implant in the minds of the young an ineradicable horror of the slaughter which they are taught now to admire.
State, Church, property
The chief end of all great States is power. The State itself is largely concerned in defending the privileges of the rich (the property owners). Many of the conflicts between States have their origin in the financial interests of a few plutocrats.
Internally, it protects the rich against the poor. Externally, it uses force for competition with other States. For B. Russell, a nation State `which believes that its welfare can only be secured by suffering and inflicting hundreds of thousands of equally horrible sacrifices is a monstrous Moloch.'
Churches have almost everywhere opposed political progress and progress in thought. Religion is more concerned to repress the life of the instinct and to combat the subversiveness of thought.
Man in general
Men, like trees, require for their growth the right soil and sufficient freedom of oppression. The actual belief that all values may be measured in terms of money, and that money is the ultimate test of success in life, is a real mutilation of man's own nature.
On the other hand, individuals can still do a lot, as has been shown by the movements for religious toleration and democracy, and against the subjection of women.
One is amazed by the political, social, economical and humanitarian relevance of this book written nearly one hundred years ago. The actual world needs many more Bertrand Russells.
A must read.
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