Bertrand Russell - The Lord of Logic.

Here is quite a fascinating You Tube video that popped up on my 'Recommended' list. 

It is a half hour interview with Lord Bertrand Russel, the English Mathematician and Philosopher.  

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, political activist, and Nobel laureate

Russell was also called the Lord of Logic. You can read about Russell's Teapot here. 

May I strongly recommend that you watch this video. Lord  Russell  speaks English with that quaint accent. The discussion is 'heavy' but presented in a light manner. You will need some tenacity.

Some background. This video is 66 years old, it was made in 1952 - eight years before I was born.  When the video was made in 1952,  Lord Bertrand Russel was already 80 years old.

Because of the historical context he talks about, I think you will appreciate this interview more if you are above 55 years of age.  In fact if you are much older, say 93 or older, then you will appreciate his points even more.

  

Russel was born 146 years ago in 1872. In the video he says that his grandfather visited Napolean during Napoleon's exile in Elba circa 1814. This is a man who was very much in touch with contemporary history.  

He says that Britain should NOT have entered the First World War - in which event he believes the Bolshevik Revolution and the Second World War would not have taken place. 

Bertrand Russel lived a lot longer. He died in 1970 at the great old age of 98 years.  So do not be too surprised if great minds live forever. 

I first read Betrand Russell when I was a teenager. I was about  16   when I read his magnum opus - he wrote more than one magnum opus - The History of Western Philosophy. It was a very thick book and I recall I did not finish reading it. 

That was the first time I read about and understood the greatness of the early Islamic civilisation. Russell spoke highly of the early Muslim age. He called early Islam a 'shining light' compared to the medieval darkness of Europe. 

Here is the video. Do note his points on religion, education, China, the inevitable rise of Asia, dogmatic thinking etc. Bear in mind this is from 1952.




Link :  https://youtu.be/fb3k6tB-Or8