[lbo-talk] attitudes towards religion

Carl Remick carlremick at gmail.com
Thu Sep 27 20:27:25 PDT 2007


On 9/27/07, ravi <ravi at platosbeard.org> wrote:
>
> Russell also wrote:
>
> Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed
> my life:
> the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable
> pity for
> the suffering of mankind.

Except on those occasions when he was contemplating increasing the suffering of mankind, as in:

"On November 20, 1948, in a public speech at Westminster School, addressing a gathering arranged by the New Commonwealth, Russell shocked some observers with comments that seemed to suggest a preemptive nuclear strike on the Soviet Union might be justified. Russell apparently argued that the threat of war between the United States and the Soviet Union would enable the United States to force the Soviet Union to accept the Baruch Plan for international atomic energy control. (Earlier in the year he had written in the same vein to Walter W. Marseille.) Russell felt this plan 'had very great merits and showed considerable generosity, when it is remembered that America still had an unbroken nuclear monopoly.' (Has Man a Future?, 1961). However Nicholas Griffin of McMaster University, in his book The Selected Letters of Bertrand Russell: The Public Years, 1914-1970, has claimed (after obtaining a transcript of the speech) that Russell's wording implies he didn't advocate the actual use of the atom bomb, but merely its diplomatic use as a massive source of leverage over the actions of the Soviets. Griffin's interpretation was disputed by Nigel Lawson, the former British Chancellor, who was present at the speech and who claims it was quite clear to the audience that Russell was advocating an actual First Strike."

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell>

Carl



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