In this way, Russell not only enjoys a lofty position in the history of western philosophy, but also occupies a distinguished seat in the history of western literature. Russell wanted to write novels when he was young, and 19 12 barely finished john foster's Puzzlement. This novel lacks imagination and too much abstract preaching, and Russell himself is extremely dissatisfied, so he refused to let it appear before his death. As for short stories, Russell didn't try until he was 80 years old, including Satan in the Suburb and Other Stories (1953) and Nightmare of Famous People (1954). Although there are still some shortcomings in the conception and imagination of the novel, these stories are still worth talking about. In literary creation, Russell's greatest achievement is prose creation. It can be said that Russell's prose is a monument in the history of British literature in the twentieth century. Taiwan Province scholar Hu Pinqing translated some of Russell's philosophical papers. In the preface to The Translator, he explained his preference for Russell:
First of all, he writes beautifully and philosophically. His excellent writing style and superb wit make philosophical papers no longer seem boring. Secondly, he is a propagandist of truth. In the world, too few people dare to tell the truth; And Russell is a brave man, because brave people are not afraid, he is always so frank and sincere.
In our century, material civilization is gaining the upper hand. So we just listen to the radio and watch TV. We only track sounds, colors and pictures, and we regard learning as a road of fear. If you want to be a truly deep person, you really have to look up to Russell, who is the most curious. 1
Indeed, Russell was a wise man in the twentieth century. He has a wide range of interests and works, and has high attainments in philosophy, mathematics and logic. The Theory of Three Volumes of Mathematics, which he co-authored with Whitehead, became an immortal classic in the history of western philosophy. However, he is not a meditator living in an ivory tower. He participated in social activities enthusiastically all his life, cared about the world situation and sympathized with the fate of mankind. In his autobiography, he looks back on his long life like this: "Three simple but overwhelmingly strong passions have accompanied me through this life. They are the desire for love, the pursuit of knowledge, and extreme sympathy for human suffering. " It is these three passions that always fill the lines of his prose works, making him one of the well-deserved prose masters elected by the west in the twentieth century.
1May, 87218th, Bertrand Russell was born in a prominent family in Ravencroft, Wales, England. His father, Sir Ambray, is a member of the British Parliament, and his mother, Katie Stanley, is a supporter of the feminist movement. She is witty, solemn and talented. When he was 3 years old, his parents died one after another. His grandfather, Lord Russell, served as British Prime Minister twice. After his parents died, Russell was raised by his grandmother. Grandma is old. This is Luo Kailu's history textbook. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland. She asked Russell to pray, play the piano and take a cold bath before breakfast every day. Russell has a strong interest in history and a strong sense of independence since he was a child, which is probably inseparable from his grandmother's upbringing. Materially, Russell's childhood was rich, but spiritually, he was unfortunate. "My parents have passed away, and I often think that I don't know what they were like when they were alive. When I am lonely, I always wander in the garden, either collecting birds' eggs or meditating on the time of flying. "Fortunately, Russell has been studious since childhood and has developed a rigorous learning attitude. Grandfather's library is rich in books, and Russell immersed himself in it whenever possible; After my grandfather died, this library became his study. Grandma has been worried that he studies too hard and often limits his reading time. Russell secretly lit candles in the bedroom, and even in the deep cold night, he sat at the table in his pajamas and studied hard. After hearing grandma's movement, he blew out the candle and slipped into bed. In literature, he likes Shelley's poems and the historical and literary works of Gibbon and Swift best. His good literary skills later came from this habit of reading extensively since childhood.
From 65438 to 0890, Russell entered Cambridge University. For him, this is a whole new world. He got rid of the shackles of his family and thought freely. Cambridge provided Russell with an excellent environment, which enabled him to combine his exploration of natural science with his thinking of philosophy. Russell was always interested in philosophy. In the first three years of college, Luo Su studied mathematics, but after studying mathematics, he never forgot to read more philosophy books. In the fourth grade, he began to focus on philosophy and showed amazing enthusiasm. "After reading philosophy, I seem to be freed from the small world in the valley and see a colorful new world." He read through the works of most philosophers and began to devote himself to the study of mathematical philosophy.
1894, Russell graduated from Cambridge with the highest score. By this time, he had fallen in love with Alice Pierre Sy Smith. Despite the strong opposition of his family, Russell insisted on holding a wedding with Alice at the end of this year. Russell has been married four times in his life, which is the first time. The beginning of this marriage is undoubtedly happy, leaving him with good memories. This can be seen from Russell's autobiography about his proposal:
We walked to a hill and sat down in a beech forest. This is a beautiful place, which looks like the atmosphere of the early Goethe-style cathedral. Looking from the tree, there is a quiet scene in all directions. That morning, the air was fresh and there was morning dew, so I thought: Life may be happy. However, when we are sitting in the Woods, shyness prevents me from going beyond my words and actions. Shortly after breakfast that day, out of infinite huff and puff and panic, I explicitly proposed to him. This was the custom at that time. She didn't accept or refuse. three
This is a beautiful prose brushwork and a very pure expression of true feelings. More than 40 years later, the memories are still vivid, and it is conceivable how much Russell cherishes this feeling for him and Alice. Unfortunately, this happy marriage only lasted for eight years. 1902, Russell suddenly realized that he didn't love Alice. The next nine years will be painful for all of them. 19 1 1 year, and they officially separated.
During this period, Russell completed Principles of Mathematics (co-authored with Whitehead,1910-1913) and Problems of Philosophy. 19 12 >, our understanding of the outside world (19 14) and mysticism and logic (19 17). Most of these works involve special philosophical issues, so the readership is narrow. However, Russell's strength lies in that when expounding philosophical issues, he can always make his paragraphs as clear and understandable as possible, and his writing is crisp and convincing, and literary rhetoric devices such as analogy and satire can be seen everywhere in his articles. But sometimes it seems that there are moments when he pursues the richness of writing and the elegance of rhetoric, which makes his words lose their communication and entanglement. On the whole, the works of this period can only be philosophical works with fluent writing, with the exception of the first four articles of Mysticism and Logic and On History in Philosophical Essays (19 10).
On History was first published in the July issue of Independent Review, 1904, and later included in Essays on Philosophy. Russell aims to explain the value of history and its significance to expanding human imagination. The first half of the article is an abstract explanation, while the second half has a sudden change in style, frequent rhymes and imaginative writing style. Let's first look at how he uses rhymes:
After countless generations, the forgotten son was worshipped in the play of the forgotten father, and the forgotten mother gave birth to soldiers, whose bones stained the silent prairie of Asia.
For countless generations, forgotten children worshipped at the tomb of their forgotten fathers, and forgotten mothers raised their sons. Their bones dyed the silent grasslands of Asia red.
In such a short sentence, there are four initials /f/, /w/, /s/ and /b/, and there is also a /s/ ending rhyme that runs through the whole sentence. Moreover, the repetition of the word "forgotten" and the voiced consonant /z/ is like the footnote of history, desolate and dignified, hovering in the wilderness of time and space.
Look at Russell's imagination:
By thinking about these great lives, a mysterious feeling … just like the music in the invisible chorus fills our souls … will gradually become possible. The voice of the hero is still calling us from the depths of the past. Its solemn precepts, like church bells on the cape, have been coming from the water since Dante returned from the country of death; Their voices are still echoing on the disturbing ocean of time; Its deep and quiet tone still tells the lonely suffering that the monastery yearns for, just like at that time; So that the solemnity of eternal things replaces the suspicious struggle against shameful happiness and fleeting happiness.