Unpopular Essays was published by Allen and Unwin in 1950, the year Russell received the Nobel Prize in Literature. The title is ironic — Russell’s essays were in fact enormously popular, and this collection sold well — but it captures his pleasure in taking positions that respectable opinion would prefer to ignore.
The essays cover a characteristically wide range: “Philosophy and Politics” argues that empiricism is the philosophical foundation of democracy (because empiricists respect evidence and are willing to change their minds, while rationalist philosophers tend toward authoritarianism); “The Future of Mankind” considers the possibility of nuclear annihilation with alarming equanimity; “Philosophy for Laymen” defends the value of philosophical education; “The Functions of a Teacher” argues that education should produce critical thinkers rather than obedient citizens.
“An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish” is perhaps the collection’s finest piece: a survey of humanity’s persistent capacity for believing nonsense, from ancient superstitions through medieval theology to modern political ideologies. Russell’s examples are chosen for maximum comic effect (he is particularly devastating on the medieval debates about whether mice born in cheese without sexual intercourse could be considered to have original sin), but the underlying argument is serious: credulity is dangerous, and the habit of believing comfortable falsehoods is the foundation of tyranny.
The prose throughout is Russell at his best: precise, witty, building complex arguments from simple premises, and never condescending to the reader. These essays demonstrate why the Nobel Committee cited Russell’s “varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.”
Collecting Unpopular Essays
First edition (Allen and Unwin, London, 1950): Cloth with dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $100–$250
- Very good: $40–$100
- US first (Simon & Schuster, 1950): $60–$150