Bertrand Russell.ppt

1、Bertrand Russell,by Tang Shusu,About Russell the man,Bertrand Arthur William Russell was born into a privileged English family on May 18, 1872. He was the grandson of Lord John Russell, who was the first Earl of Russell as well as a former prime minister.,Bertrands early life was traumatic: orphaned

2、 by the age of four, he and his elder brother Frank were sent to live with their strict grandparents. Lord Russell died when Bertrand was six, and thereafter the boys were raised by their austerely religious, authoritarian grandmother. Russells youth was filled with rules and prohibitions, and his e

3、arliest desire was to free himself from such constraints. His lifelong distrust of religion no doubt stems from this early experience.,Although he was best known for his contributions to logic and philosophy, Bertrand Russells range of interests was impressively wide. He was engaged in what seemed t

4、o be the entire extent of human endeavor: mathematics, philosophy, science, and logic, political activism, social justice, education, and sexual morality. His influence has been so pervasive that in some ways it has become difficult for us to appreciate its full impact.,In addition, many of his writ

5、ings on a wide variety of topics in both the sciences and the humanities have influenced generations of general readers. After a life marked by controversy (including dismissals from both Trinity College, Cambridge, and City College, New York), Russell was awarded the Order of Merit in 1949 and the

6、Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Also noted for his many spirited anti-war and anti-nuclear protests, Russell remained a prominent public figure until his death.,About the style,A style is not good unless it is an intimate and almost involuntary expression of the personality of the writer, and th

7、en only if the writer s personality is worth expressing. Wang Zuoliang the very sentence to describe the relationship between Russell and his style profundity of Russells thought,clear thinking, keen observation & precise expression grasp the core of everything make the complicated sense clear & eas

8、y to understand the style: Plainness & Simplicity Brevity & Clarity Accuracy & Sagacity Satire & Humor,Plainness & Simplicity follows the plain style (trend in the 17 & 18) avoid pomp & extravagant words make his points straightaway especially reflected in his philosophical works e.g. A History of W

9、estern Philosophy,Brevity & Clarity Brevity is the soul of wit. Polonius Brevity, especially, I always greatly desired. I wish to say everythig in the smallest number of words in which it could be said clearly.I would spend hours trying to find the shortest way of saying something without ambiguity,

10、 and to this aim I was willing to sacrifice all attempts at aesthetic excellence. clarity, not the aesthetic excellence,e.g. What I have Lived For (para.1) what I have lived for? Quite big question his answer is brief but clear：the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for

11、the suffering of mankind the ideals of humanism, the belief of rationalism, and the core of Christian thoughts (the heart of the western culture) Russells personality (nobility & integrity),Accuracy & Sagacity I like precision. I like sharp outline. I hate misty vagueness. mathematician (mathematica

12、l spirit) deeply influences the style of his prose due to his keen insight (his prose is full of penetrating judgment),Satire & Humor This is a typical feature of British prose. Most British proser are good at it. unexpected but just right examples get the essence of the things after laughing e.g. r

13、eference reading (An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish) the use of the inconsistence of the words and actions of the nuns is the best example to assail with the hypocrisy of the religion,About Work,e.g. Most of the work that most people have to do is not in itself interesting, but even such work has c

14、ertain great advantages. To begin with, it fills a good many hours of the day without the need of deciding what one shall do.,e.g. One of the causes of unhappiness among intellectuals in the present day is that so many of them, especially those whose skill is literary, fing no opportunity for the in

15、dependent exercise of their talents, but have to hire themselves out to rich corporations directed by Philistines, who insist upon their producing what they themselves regard as pernicious nonsense.,A comparison,Russells work & Kahlil Gibrans on work Russells language is more plain, logical and accurate. His viewpoint is more pra