In praise of idleness and other essays

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Bertrand Russell: In praise of idleness and other essays (1942, George Allen and Unwin)

English language

Published Nov. 8, 1942 by George Allen and Unwin.

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4 stars (8 reviews)

This is a collection of essays by Bertrand Russell first published in 1935. In the 1932 essay which gives the title to the volume, Russell propose people work for a maximum of 4 hours-per-day to think, socialise, etc. Other essays treat about sociology, philosophy and economy and also technical architectural problems are discussed in a social frame proposing solutions.

CONTENTS (original edition)

Preface

I In praise of idleness (1932)

II "Useless" knowledge

III Architecture and social questions

IV The modern Midas

V The ancestry of fascism

VI Scylla and Charybdis; or, communism and fascism

VII The case for socialism

VIII Western civilization

IX On youthful cynicism (1929)

X Modern homogeneity (1930)

XI Men versus insects (1933)

XII Education and discipline

XIII Stoicism and mental health (1928)

XIV On comets

XV What is the soul?

17 editions

Review of 'In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I always like reading Bertrand Russell's stuff. This collection of essays covers some large topics. In In Praise of Idleness, he argues that the world would be better off if people worked less: that, properly organized, we could produce everything everyone needs while spending less time working at those producing activities. This is one of my favorite arguments for socialism. In The Ancestry of Fascism and Scylla and Charybdia, or Communism and Fascism he discusses the causes and evils of Fascism and "Communism" (really, to a large extent, Stalinism). On Youthful Cynicism is a little silly: it's a "kid's these days" kind of essay. Check out the first sentence:
"Any person who visits the Universities of the Western world is liable to be struck by the fact that the intelligent young of the present day are cynical to a far greater extent than was the case formerly." Ha! How …

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