Friday, October 21, 2005

Russell - 'The Bomb and Civilisation'

"One is tempted to feel that Man is being punished, through the agency of his own evil passions, for impiety in inquiring too closely into the hidden secrets of Nature. But such a feeling is unduly defeatist. Science is capable of conferring enormous boons: it can lighten labour, abolish poverty, and enormously diminish disease. But if science is to bring benefits instead of death, we must bring to bear upon social, and especially international, organization, intelligence of the same high order that has enabled us to discover the structure of the atom. To do this effectively we must free ourselves from the domination of ancient shibboleths, and think freely, fearlessly and rationally about the new and appalling problems with which the human race is confronted by its conquest of scientific power." - Bertrand Russell (1945).

4 comments:

MH said...

Michael - did you actually read Russell's essay? Or are you just pulling apart a passage I thought interesting, without considering the passage in it's context? I'm asking because if you read the essay then you've an interesting view on Russell's position.

As an aside, a considered expostion of Stocker's position might be in order (say one thousand words, for wednesday).

Samuel Douglas said...

I would have said that it was a misuse of rational thought that got us into this mess.

How acceptable decisions can be made without them being rational is a tricky question. Since many everyday ones are made out of habit, it would seem that you are turning conservative on us Michael.

MH said...
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Samuel Douglas said...

Existentialist!? (Insert appropriate level of scorn here)

The problem is the use of so-called rational thought, without enough transparency and self-critique. Observance of the power relations at work would also help to ensure that the 'real' outcomes and agendas being pursued were in line with the ostensible ones. Seriously, I don't see amny good alternatives at this point to rationality.

(On the other hand, the Communists and the U.S. never really threw down, so maybe it wasn't so crazy after all.)