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What I Believe

3 Complete Essays on Religion

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About this listen

Remarkably relevant, beautifully written, and filled with wit and wisdom, these three essays by Bertrand Russell allow the listener to test the concepts of the good life, morality, the existence of God, Christianity, and human nature. "What I Believe" was used prominently in the 1940 New York court proceedings in which Russell was judicially declared "unfit" to teach philosophy at City College of New York. "Why I Am Not a Christian" concludes that churches throughout history have retarded progress and states that we should instead "look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in." Finally, "A Free Man's Worship", perhaps the most famous single essay written by Russell, considers whether humans operate from free will.

©1925, 1927 Bertrand Russell (P)1995 The Audio Partners Publishing Philosophy Spirituality Morality Nonfiction New York

Critic reviews

"Russell is one of our time's brilliant spokesmen of rationality and humanity, a fearless champion of free speech and free thought." (The Swedish Academy, on awarding Bertrand Russell the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1950)
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I'm glad to think that Bertrand Russell lived until 1970 and therefore long enough to see some of the liberal reforms for which he argued, come to fruition. In these essays from the early part of the 20th Century, he is too coy even to use the word 'homosexuality', but makes oblique references as he argues for greater tolerance. In a way, these essays have dated because our society has (thankfully) moved on so much. In his day he would have been dynamite!

Ahead of his time

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Given this work is a century old (some parts older), it still feels like compulsory reading, despite inevitably dated details. His critique of nature-worship in particular is as on point now as it ever has been.

Still deeply insightful

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At first I was concerned the language and narrator would be hard going but I quickly found my stride. He speaks a lot of sense and it's a shame that 100 years on these are still not dominant ways of thinking and mindsets thaat are still being fought for today. A must listen for all. I found the last essay the least accessible.

Speaks a lot of sense

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Russel's clear and compassionate lines of thinking do indeed sound "inspired by love and guided by knowledge". Highly recommended!

Interesting and important!

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Russell's genius finds a good voice here. Great acting and very clear presentation. As for the work itself, it's a must for philosophy of religion enthusiasts.

A great presentation of an excelleng book

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