Syllabus of Lectures by BERTRAND RUSSELL
I. POLITICAL IDEALS
Impulse and Reason in Politics
Influence of Institutions on Impulse
Creative and Possessive Impulses:
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Property |
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Education |
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State |
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Marriage |
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War |
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Religion |
Freedom for creative impulses requires either courage or security
Security demands creativeness to keep alive the adventure and interest of life
Freedom. Sphere of compulsion in good Government
Self-government: in small units for small matters. Power to be diminished as much as possible
Abolition of wages system Poverty, war, economic slavery might be wholly abolished
The World as it could be made Importance of HOPE
II. CAPITALISM AND THE WAGES SYSTEM
Predatory instincts: (a) in individuals (b) in groups: war
Economic injustice: (a) rent and interest (b) monopolies (c) syndicalism would give unjust advantages to some syndicates, e.g., coal
Tyranny of Employers: (a) at present (b) under State Socialism (c) under any rigid system
Large Economic units unavoidable. Must be combined with liberty.
Purposes of an Economic system: (a) to [maximize] production and facilitate technical progress (b) to secure distributive justice (c) to give security (d) to liberate creative impulses and diminish possessive impulses
Of these (d) is the most important; (c) is important as a means to it. But State Socialism would give (c) without (d). Present system fails in all four. Guild Socialism with liberty for outside experiments is the best system.
III. PITFALLS IN SOCIALISM
In large organizations, and especially in States, officials and legislators are very remote from those they govern. This makes them ignorant and more anxious for uniform system than for free growth.
Love of power in officials. Hampering of initiative
Evils of uniformity, e.g., in education
Tyranny of majority. Mistake to suppose majorities right; they are always wrong at first: novelty must have its chance against the majority
Progress through diversity and experiment. It must be possible to contract out of the State system by some slight sacrifice
Need of devolution, economic as well as local
IV. INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND STATE CONTROL
(1) Religion (2) Morals: conscience: choice of occupation: marriage. Limits of [allegiance to State (3) Thought: opinion: free speech (4) Art
In every life, a part is governed by the Community and a part by individual initiative; the latter part is greatest in the most important individuals. It must only be restricted when it is predatory; otherwise it should be as great as possible. Institutions should be such as to give it the freest possible scope without producing anarchy or strife. Modern difficulty: To combine huge organizations with personal initiative.
V. NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND INTERNATIONALISM
What constitutes a nation
Why a nation should have internal self-government
Why the external actions of a nation should be subject to an international authority
The common tasks of civilization
Internationalism v. Cosmopolitanism. Internationalism as an ideal
VI. EDUCATION AND PREJUDICE
What education aims at and what it should aim at
Education and Freedom. Education and Initiative. Education and Prejudice. "Culture"? Need of Diversity and Experiment. Evils of Centralization. Education and Mental Growth
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