Bertrand Russell : A Free Man’s Worship
This essay will explain the beliefs and philosophies of Bertrand Russell. He was the author of, "A Free Man's Worship". In Betrand's essay, he presents an atheistic perspective on morality. He clearly believes that there is no God and that eventually the human race will rid itself. In this essay, why Bertrand concludes there can be no God will be explained.
Bertrand writes that a God that was good could not possibly have created a world of such cruel and evil people. He says that humans create God based on their own reflections of power in the world. Russell writes that the human race is only in existence due to an accidental collocation of atoms. All effort of heroism, devotion, inspiration, and worship will not matter beyond the grave. Humans are afraid of this being true and therefore we create our own paradise.
To Russell, if power is bad we should reject it from our hearts. The determination to worship only the God created by us is mans true freedom. In action, in desire, we must submit to the ruling of outside forces; but in thought, in aspiration, we are free from mans rules. Not only in life but in death, due to the fact that we are preserved by our memory therefore, almost as if we are immortal. The fact that we are free to know, to learn, to criticize, and to imagine is how we can preserve our aspirations without them being tarnished. Bertrand make a very compelling statement went he writes, "To abandon the struggle for private happiness, to expel all eagerness of temporary desire, to burn with passion for eternal things-this is emancipation, and this is the free man's worship." This sentence is a key point in Russell's ethics.
On the subject of resentment, Russell has many opinions. He writes that indignation is a burden. Indignation is an oppression because it induces our thoughts to think of evil things in the world. Rebellion is the consequence of indignation in which according to Bertrand, we must overcome in order to become wise. Bertrand
Bertrand writes that a God that was good could not possibly have created a world of such cruel and evil people. He says that humans create God based on their own reflections of power in the world. Russell writes that the human race is only in existence due to an accidental collocation of atoms. All effort of heroism, devotion, inspiration, and worship will not matter beyond the grave. Humans are afraid of this being true and therefore we create our own paradise.
To Russell, if power is bad we should reject it from our hearts. The determination to worship only the God created by us is mans true freedom. In action, in desire, we must submit to the ruling of outside forces; but in thought, in aspiration, we are free from mans rules. Not only in life but in death, due to the fact that we are preserved by our memory therefore, almost as if we are immortal. The fact that we are free to know, to learn, to criticize, and to imagine is how we can preserve our aspirations without them being tarnished. Bertrand make a very compelling statement went he writes, "To abandon the struggle for private happiness, to expel all eagerness of temporary desire, to burn with passion for eternal things-this is emancipation, and this is the free man's worship." This sentence is a key point in Russell's ethics.
On the subject of resentment, Russell has many opinions. He writes that indignation is a burden. Indignation is an oppression because it induces our thoughts to think of evil things in the world. Rebellion is the consequence of indignation in which according to Bertrand, we must overcome in order to become wise. Bertrand