What I Believe
About this audiobook
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.”
“A Free Man’s Worship,” perhaps the most famous single essay written by Russell, considers whether humans operate from free will.
Ratings and reviews
About the author
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was a mathematician, philosopher, pacifist, and winner of the 1950 Nobel Prize for literature. As a president of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, he opposed war and nuclear weapons and also advocated world government and peacemaking.
Terrence Hardiman has worked extensively in theater. He began at the Old Vic, went on to repertory at Bristol, and then spent five years as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played the title role in BBC TV’s The Demon Headmaster, while his other television appearances include major parts in Secret Army, Miss Marple, Hannay, and Inspector Morse. Among his film credits are Mask of Murder, Loophole, and Gandhi.
