His grandfather met Napoleon at Elba. A conversation with BR at age eighty, in 1952. I found it very interesting, thought provoking :
https://youtu.be/xL_sMXfzzyA?t=33
I had thought BR was a pacifist during WWII. It was, rather, WWI - a far more defensible proposition..
BR analyzes Nietzsche, gives him his due, then takes him down hard :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGDZcifLpdA
“Pure mathematics consists entirely of assertions to the effect that, if such and such a proposition is true of anything, then such and such another proposition is true of that thing. It is essential not to discuss whether the first proposition is really true, and not to mention what the anything is, of which it is supposed to be true...Thus mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true."
share"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong.”
He did put out some great quotes, but I still don't understand why he was famous. Did he ever do anything other than come up with fabulous quotes?
Other than being considered perhaps the greatest English-speaking philosopher of the 20th century, not much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell
Russell was no great admirer of Plato, particularly, or Aristotle either :
https://tigerpapers.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/bertrand-russell-on-plato-and-aristotle/
In my very limited study of him, BR appears as what they call a positivist, one whose theory of knowledge is contingent, largely tethered to the methods of scientific inquiry. Mathematics represents the only 'pure' form of knowledge, human affairs, the ends of things all much more removed.
I sort of trust his instincts, will study him much further. I always hated Plato too :)
I've lugged around a copy of The History of Western Philosophy for my whole adult life, thinking I'd delve into Bertand's wisdom and insight. But I'm less intellectually curious than I'd always assumed, so I guess it's Archie comics for me.
Not that I'm a complete dullard when it comes to larger topics and concepts, but I would be fibbing if I sounded like I've been terribly academic concerning my interior life.
I only dabble. But I did have some exposure in college, and reading, thru the years, developed a few preferences/aversions. I seem to like & dislike the same sorts of thinkers as BR.
Here is a decent summary of BR's life, thoughts on philosophy, etc. :
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/russell/
russell believed in the jfk assassination conspiracy theories.
shareA large majority of Americans believe, at least, that LHO was influenced. I do.
shareno one would hire oswald to kill anyone. he didn't know how to drive a car.
shareOh, I think he did the shooting. Unless you believe everyone was lying about everything, which I don't.
shareoswald was the shooter and acted alone is what i meant. the conspiracy theories around the assassination are craziness.
shareAgree, but his wacky back-story clearly puts him on the radar of the CIA/FBI/KGB & Cuban communities.
Jack Ruby was associated with the Chicago outfit.
All of which leaves me agnositic on who may or may not have wound him up, took him out. The lone nut theory is also plausible, but here is a good bit of background noise.
The main argument for the lone nut theory is just as you say - who would hang a conspiracy on this guy ? That's pretty strong, too. Maybe strongest.
oswald was on the cia/fbi radar. he should have been detained for a few hours on nov 22/63 and nothing would have ever happened. kennedy had a motorcade in miami on november 18th and the fbi had one guy in particular detained. they screwed up.
share[deleted]
Russell - Authority & The Individual : Social Cohesion And Human Nature :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EF4I7HM0zI
"Gradually, by selective breeding, the congenital differences between rulers and ruled will increase until they become almost different species. A revolt of the plebs would become as unthinkable as an organized insurrection of sheep against the practice of eating mutton." - Bertrand Russell.
This is happening today, except instead of eugenics (or selective breeding), the means are selective education, disinformation, social media and corporate slavery.