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Brsq 0094.Pdf •\::-,::,;;::i:.:;:::-:::;-.-=- Non Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID C~, Qhyid 22307 Alexandria. VA 22314 Permit No. 5659 The Bertrand Russell Society 3802 North Kermeth Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641-2814, U.S.A. The Bertrand Russell Society was founded in 1974 to foster a better understanding of Russell's work and to promote ideas and causes he thought important. The Scoiety's motto is Russell's statement, "The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge." The Bertrand Russell Society Ouarter_ly is published in February, May, August and November. Letters and manuscripts should be addressed to: John E. Shosky, Ph.D. BRS 1806 Rollins Drive Alexandria, VA 22307 OFFICERS OF THE BERTRAND RUSSELL SOCIETY Chair Mchael J. Rockler President John Lenz Vice President Jam Eisler Vice PresidenVlrformation Emeritus Lee Eisler Secretary Ken Blackwell Treasurer Dennis Darland THE BERTRAND RUSSELL SOCIETY ON THE NET The Bertrand Russell__Society Home Page http://daniel.drew.edu/~jlenz/brd.html The Berirand Russell Societv Ougrterlv http://daniel.drew.edu/~jlenz/qtly.html The Bertrand Russell Societv Annual Book Award hay://daniel.drew.edu/~jlenz/bkaward.html Russell-1 is a whd-wide electronic discussion and information foruni for Russell Studies. It has about 245 members from 28 countries. To suscribe, send this messageonelectronicmailto#sproa@rrecmu!sfier.castating"subscriberussell-I" and followed by your name on the same line. Ther Russell Arehives' home page is at http ://www.mcmaster.ca/russdocs/russell.htm. It tracks Russell studies on the Web. THH BnRTRAND RUSSELL SoCIHTy QUARTERLY Newsletter o the Bertrand Russell Socie May 1997 No. 94 FROM THE EDITOR John E. Shosky, Ph.D ............................ 2 BERTRANI} RUSSELL' S NIGHTMARHS David F. T. Rodier, Ph.D .......................... 3 RUSSELL' S PARADOX AND RUSSELL' S ERROR David Rafferty .................................. 9 THE CARL SAGAN MEMORIAL Warren AIIen Smith ............................ 12 A LETTER FROM INDIA Chandrakala Padia, Ph.D ........................ 13 LOST OPPORTUNITIES HERE: A Video Review Clifford Henke ................................ 15 BOOK REVIEW John E. Shosky, Ph.D ........................... 17 THE BERTRAND RUSSELL SOCIETY Membership Profile ............................ 19 THE BERTRAND RUSSEI.L SOCIETY 1997 Membership Renewal Forln .................. 21 TREAsuRER9 s REroRT Dennis Darland ................................ 22 FROM THE EDITOR -- a marketplace of the mind. To assist me in gathering and editing materials, I have added two John E. Shosky, Ph.D. assistant editors: Robert Barnard and Catherine Kendig. Robert lives in Memphis American University and is finishing a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Memphis. He is a former graduate student of mine at American Uhiversity. I wanted .to include Bob Please allow me to introduce myself as the new editor of the Bjts because he is unbelievably brilliant and on top of cutting-edge trends in gwcrrfer/);. I am pleased to be able to serve the society in this capacity. I look philosophy. Catherine is also a former and very successful student at American, forward to providing you with information, comments, stories, and reviews and is now beginning graduate study at King's College, University of London. concerning the life and thought of this century' s greatest philosopher. Catherine has repeatedly worked with me in the past, producing minor miracle For past readers, the 02t¢rfedy has been a dramatic change from the old achievenients in the most difficult and thankless circumstances. She will be well- Jvews/e#er. I personally approved of the new direction taken by Michael Rockler, placed to help us generate more interest in the BRS in the United Kingdom and immediate past editor, but I also found the Ivews/e#er to be a warn and accessible Europe. I would like to find an assistant editor in Asia. Any ideas? link to other members. Iing my tenure as editor, I hope to combine the best of In the next issue I will offer an extensive report of the recent annual both approaches. meeting. But here I will indicate that there were some changes in the constitution I have begun by commissioning a cover drawing by tva Petkova, a of our scoiety officers. I stepped down as Vice President and was replaced by the talented and well-regarded animator and artist from Sophia, Bulgaria. She is the energetic and gung-ho Jar Eisler. Longtime Secretary Don Jackanicz was daugiver of one of Bulgaria's most famous artists, Ilya Peckov. Iva's fine drawing succeeded by one of the greatest names in Russellian scholarship, Ken Blackwell. will be a welcome addition to the Russell corpus. In order to indicate consistency John Lenz remains President and Michael Rockler the Chairman of the Board. over the four issues within each calendar year, I will use a commissioned work Lee Eisler is still Vice President/Information Emeritus and the always capable four times, changing the color of the gwcrrfedy with each issue. So, in 1998, I Dermis Darland still guards the treasury. The BRS is in good hands for the will commission a new drawing for the year. coming year. I ask you to fill out and return the membership profile. In future issues I hope you enjoy the 02/c}r/er/);. we will feature three profiles, highlighting the members of the BRS and the many reasons for making "Bertie" a part of our lives. John Shosky I have also added a video review to each issue. Here I have called upon the services of a longtime friend and movie critic, Clifford Henke. Cliff is not a •,,,. professional movie critic. He is an opinionated, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and funny guy. This issue he has reviewed "Tom & Viv." In the next issue, he will take up "Carington." I urge you to rent these movies because of their interest in BERTRAND RUSSHLL'S NIGHTMARES Russell, his time, and his circle of friends. Each movie will be selected because David F. T. Rodier, Ph.D. of its topical relevance to Russell. I would also like to increase the number of bock reviews. This is vital for American University two reasons. First, the number of fine works on Russell is rapidly increasing, sure evidence of a "Russell Renaissance." Second, I believe it would serve a In the modem period certain political and ethical topics regularly have tremendous educatiorml function if we could use these pages to share our thoughts been discussed by philosophers in narrative prose as the examples of Thoinas on what we read. For example, I would be very interested to know what Nick More, Francis Bacon and Cyrano de Bengerac readily show. In the Enlightenment Griffin thougiv of Grayling's recent survey of Russell, or what John Lenz has to while some writers like Iit. Johnson and Rousseau continued the use of the say about Martha Nussbaum's work on literature and the law. We have a deep, philosophic topics which were primarily ethical or political, others - most notal>ly powerful braintrust in the BRS --hundreds of well-educated, compassionate, and Voltaire - developed the philosophic tale as a vehicle for the treatment of other inteuectunl activists. The gwcJrfer/y should be a forum for the exchange of ideas kinds of philosophic topics including metaphysics. Contemporary readers are 2 3 perhaps most familiar with Voltaire's Micromegas and Candide as examples of Among Russell's various fictions, Nightmares 2 stands out as a work the philosophic prose tale which explores metaphysical issues; hoivever, the genre which almost perfectly fits Huine's description. The topics of the Nightmares of the philosophic tale has continued to be a significant vehicle into the twentieth perfectly fit Hume's requirement. The majority of the philosophic topics treated, century as the well-known instances of Luis Borges and Bertrand Russell show. whether ethical or logical, are ones which Russell, at least, would regard as s6 Uhfortunately, Russell's various prose fictions have been underrated, and obvious that they "scarcely admit of dispute." The philosophie precepts, as even largely ignored by even his more devoted readers. I think this neglect is Russell presents them, are "neither tedious nor redundant" since each tale is largely unjustified. Perhaps the neglect is due to an unconscious but deep-seated carefully organized and sharply focused. Each "nightmare" is short - most prejudice against fiction. Although Russell's followers readily accept his running to only two or three pages. The individuals having the nightmares range strictures against Plato in the areas of mathematical and political philosophy, from historical figures M. Bowdler, Stalin, Eisenhower, Dean Acheson, and Dr. when it comes tojudSng the value of Russell's own works they seem to show an Vulpes (who seems to be a thinly disguised Klaus Fuchs) to individuals creatively uneradicated Platonic prejudice against the makers of fictions, even if the maker named by Russell but identified in the titles of the stories only by their in questions is their own favorite philosopher. It would be ironic if such an occupations (the metaphysician, existentialist, mathematician, fisheman and unaclmowledgedPlatonismactuallyisthesourceofthebeliefthatifRussellreally theologiv)totheQueenofShebaandapsychoanalystwhoremainsanonymous. is doing philosophy, then he should whte technical philosophic tales. In terms of the philosophic issues presented, the nightmares may be grouped as This neglect of Russell's fiction cannot be due to their style. It is dealing with (1) political philosophy (the nightmares of Eisenhower, Dean obviously the case that some twentieth-century philosophers have written tedious Acheson, and Iit. Southport Vulpes); (2) ethics (those of the Queen of Sheba, Mr. works of fiction in an attempt to make popular theories turctdly, but unclearly, Bowdler, the psychoanalyst and Stalin); and (3) metaphysics or logic (the developed in their prose treatises - the examples of J. P. Sartre and Simone de nightmares of the metaphysician, the existentialist, the mathematician and the Beauvoir come immediately to mind. However, unlike these continental theologian). philosophers, Russell's fiction is as clearly whtten as his philosophy.
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