Sceptical Essays

"These propositions may seem mild, yet, if accepted, they would absolutely revolutionize human life."
With these words, Bertrand Russell introduces what is indeed a revolutionary book. Taking as his starting-point the irrationality of the world, he offers by contrast something "wildly paradoxical and subversive."
Today, besieged as we are by the numbing onslaught of twenty-first century capitalism, Russell's defense of scepticism and independence of mind is as timely as ever. In clear, engaging prose, he guides us through the key philosophical issues that affect our daily life.
Contents:
1. Introduction: On the Value of Scepticism; 2. Dreams and Facts; 3. Is Science Superstitious?; 4. Can Men Be Rational?; 5. Philosophy in the Twentieth Century; 6. Machines and the Emotions; 7. Behavourism and Values; 8. Eastern and Western Ideals of Happiness; 9. The Harm that Good Men Do; 10. The Recrudescence of Puritanism; 11. The Need for Political Scepticism; 12. Free Thought and Official Propaganda; 13. Freedom in Society; 14. Freedom Versus Authority in Education; 15. Psychology and Politics; 16. The Danger of Creed Wars; 17. Some Prospects: Cheerful and Otherwise