STYLE OF BERTRAND RUSSELL

BIOGRAPHY
Bertrand Russell was born on May 18, 1872 at Ravenscroft, Trellech, Monmouth shire,
Wales to Viscount Amberley and Katharine Louisa. He belonged to a liberal British
aristocracy family. In June 1874, Russell’s mother passed away suffering from
diphtheria. Two years later in 1876, his father died of bronchitis. After early death of
their parents, Frank and Bertrand grew up under the vigilance of Victorian grandparents.
Russell was often struck with pangs of loneliness and seclusion as a teenager, due to
which, he often planned to commit suicide. He received no formal education at school
and studied at home only, by different tutors. During the developing and innovative days
of his life, he also discovered Percy Bysshe Shelley’s work. Russell also spent his
teenage in denoting a deeper view on Christianity. Later, he got scholarship to read for
the Mathematical Tripos at Trinity College, Cambridge. Russell started studying in the
same in the year 1890. In 1896, Russell commenced publishing his work with German
Social Democracy, a political study that was the initial indication of a lifelong interest in
political and social theory. His first foremost book on mathematical logic got published in
1903 named “The Principles of Mathematics”. In 1905, he completed his essay “On
Denoting”, which was later published in the philosophical journal, Mind. In 1908, he
became associated with the Royal Society. Also, Russell and Whitehead together wrote
the book “Principia Mathematica”, whose first three volumes got published in 1910.
During first world war period, Russell became one of the very few intellectuals who were
involved in pacifist activities. In 1916, he was thrown from Trinity College because of his
opinion under the ‘Defence of the Realm Act’. Russell took part in many broadcasts on
BBC. He gained a lot of popularity, also apart from his academic circle, as an author of
magazine or newspaper articles. His book A History of Western Philosophy (1945)
became one of the best sellers. Considered a pioneer in the field of philosophy, Bertrand
Russell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 for his numerous
writings. Russell died on February 2, 1970 due to influenza at his home in
Penrhyndeudraeth, Merionethshire, Wales. Bertrand Russell was cremated on
5th February, 1970 in Colwyn Bay. According to the will of Russell, no religious
ceremony took place on his cremation; his ashes were later spread over the Welsh
mountains

BERTRAND RUSSEL:
Basically he was a mathematician and his grand, epoch-making contribution to his
subject was published in three volumes. Principa Mathematica in collaboration with
professor Whitehaed, is verily a landmark in the history of mathematics. His scientific
and mathematical skill together endowed him with great approach to speak and write
with perfect proficiency.

Bertrand Russell is by all respects, a productive prose writer, who wrote abundantly. He
is the prominent writer of present century who wrote on a variety of subjects of human
interest, with great zeal and zest. His work devoted mainly to problems of philosophy,
ethics, morality, political, social life and economics, etc. impresses us greatly by its
literary qualities. He wrote almost on everything and there was hardly a human problem,
which remained untouched by him. A rich coffer of knowledge made him upright and
honest in his opinions.

Whenever Russell takes to writing on a subject, he adopts a systematic way for a

successful production. He expressed his wit and writing power in a forceful and logical
style. About his own method of writing, he says:

“If I were to write upon some rather difficult topic, the best plan is to think about is with
very great interest------ the great intensity of which I am capable----- for a few hours or
days, and at the end of that time give orders, so to speak, that the work is to proceed
under ground. After some months, I return consciously to the topic and find that the work
has been done. Before I had discovered this technique, I used to spend the intervening
months worrying because I was making no progress, I arrived at the solution none the
sooner for this worry and the intervening months were wasted, whereas now I can devote
to other pursuits.

(The Conquest of Happiness, page 50).

The above-mentioned reference indicates that Russell was convinced of clarity of thought
and fluency of expression. His thoughts were always clear and his style always chaste,
transparent and lucid. Thus he revolutionized not only the subject matter but also the
mode of expression. The clarity of thought and neatness of expression were the two
things, out of which, he developed a charming style, which left indelible imprints on the
reader’s mind.

There are no “jeweled phrases” in his writings nor sentences over which we would like to
linger with the aesthetic pleasure. Russell’s style is intellectually brilliant. He can
condense an idea or a thought in a few words if he so desires. Russell is always direct,
simple and lucid. Here are some stylistics feature of Bertrend Russel’s prose.
The Exact Use of Words:
Russell’s ideal scientific inclination enables him to make an exact and perfect use of
words. He uses words, which are rich, pure, clear and transparent. There is no ambiguity
or obscurity. If some ambiguity occurs somewhere he clarifies it in the following
sentences. He avoids excessive use of words. He words are small in number but rich in
meaning. He avoids empty rhetoric, and produces a charm of writing with modest use of
words.

Unity of Thoughts:
The second salient feature of Russell’s style is the unity of thought. The discipline of
logic and mathematics taught him the principle of unity of thought. Like a mathematical
premise, his arguments start from a well-affirmed basic assumption and then he proceeds
step by step to the logical conclusion of his arguments. Each essay is logically well knit
and self-contained. In each essay the development of the thought is continuous and
strictly logical, with a close interconnection between one paragraph and another. A fine
coherence exists in his arguments. Each argument is related to the preceding one like the
anxious of Euclid. So the conclusion drawn is the logical outcome of his argument which
is really a brief summing-up of what Russell has said in the course of the essay.

Long Sentences:
Russell usually uses lengthy and elaborate sentences to maintain his unity of thought. He
is fully aware of this aspect of his style and therefore does not let the length of sentence
harm the fluency of writing. From beginning to the end, his thoughts go steadily, and
with pleasant rhythm and coherence. His style poses a medium though which his thoughts
flow smoothly. There is not dullness, but sweetness in his writing, relished by the readers.
Russell makes long sentences to pour out his feelings with a poetic flash. He thinks
deeply and expresses the matter in a logical manner. The sentence is definitely long but
the main link of the thought is not broken anywhere. All subordinate clause move
towards the main clause with the definite aim of making the sense more clear and no part
of the syntax is loose.

Simplicity of Language:
Setting aside bombastic and pompous language, he insists on simplicity and effect of
expression. He hardly uses excessive synonymous words to make the sentence tedious
and tasteless. That is why his writing is not monotonous and dull, rather sweet and
pleasant, relished interestingly by the readers. He adopts convincing and simple style
which touch the core of reader’s heart directly. The subject matter of his essays may be
very difficult but his manner of expression is so lucid and simple that even a layman can
understand him without any special difficulty. He unfurls his thoughts through the long
sentences to preserve the unity of thought. Russell could not help it because he wrote on
solemn and grave subjects, which demanded an interlinked unity of thoughts and
arguments. It is not an easy job to dwell upon sober and grave subjects and maintaining
the simplicity of description and clarity of thoughts. But Russell manipulated it with
proficiency. He diminished the gravity of subject with simplicity and lucidity of words
and produced a style, which was unique but familiar, scholarly and easy. He knows that
the complexity of expression leads to ambiguity. Nothing can be more lucid than such
opening lines:

“Happiness depends partly upon external circumstances and partly upon oneself.”

“Of all the institutions that have come down to us from the past, none is so disorganized
and derailed as the family.”

Seriousness:
Almost all his writings retain the seriousness of the subject, but as we have pointed out
earlier, his writing does not bear his personal emotional effect. He was among the
greatest humanists of 20thcentury who deeply felt the pain and problems of humanity. He
set forth a practical philosophy of human life and all his life preached for it. But again he
was a not a traditional preacher like an old type dogmatic clergy. It was his intellectual
vision, broadmindedness and impersonal attitude towards human problems, which made
him a sober, prolific and high profile writer. The deepness of his outlook actually made
his style heart-felt and effective. He was much concerned for the humanity surrounded by
horrible problems. There was a possible danger of nuclear war after the invention of
nuclear weapons, world population was growing at an alarming rate, natural resources
were running out fast and the likelihood of calamities and famines was hanging like
Damocles sword on the head of humanity.

Furthermore the endless ideological clash between the two great super powers of the
world and its formidable effects on mankind, particularly on the developing countries did
not let him attain a peace of mind. He sensed the danger of all these problems on and
clamored for it through his writing. He also deplored the follies of man done in the past
and showed his deep concern for the imminent calamities. His heart was teeming with
sympathy and love for humanity. He contemplated on the human follies, problems and
hardships and always thought of their solutions. The essay Future of Mankind clearly
depicts sincerity and seriousness in Russell’s style.

His Humor and Satire:

A serious discussion, how much important it may be, makes a write-up dull and boring.
In spite of high seriousness, Russell’s style is tinged with cheerfulness and humor. His
writing bears a highly intellectual and scholarly style, with a humorous touch. But his
humor does not go outrageous or overboard. His writing never becomes disgusting rather
is remains optimistic and lively with a ray of hope. This humor has a reformative aspect,
which not only pinpoints human blunders, but also suggests a solution, with a hope for
improvement in future. For example, when describing the opposition of the clergy against
the scientific inventions towards the end of nineteenth century, when Franklin invented
the lightning rod, he writes:

“When Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod, the Clergy both in England and
America, with enthusiastic support of God to punish impiety or some other grave sin----
the virtuous are never struck by lightning. Therefore if God wants to strike anyone,
Benjamin Franklin ought not to defeat His design, indeed to do so is to help criminals to
escape. But was equal to the occasion. If we are believe the eminent Dr. Price, one of the
leading divines of Boston. Lightning having been rendered ineffectual by the iron points
invented by the sagacious Dr. Franklin, Massachusetts was shaken by earthquakes,
which Dr. Price perceived to be due to God’s wrath at the Iron Point.’ In a sermon on the
subject he said, “In Boston are more erected than elsewhere in New England, and Boston
seems to be of God Apparently, however, Providence gave up all hopes of curing Boston
of its wickedness, for though lightning rods became more and more common, earthquakes
in Massachusetts have remained rare. Nevertheless, Dr. Price’s point of view, or
something very like it, was still held by one of the most influential men of recent times.
When there were several bad earthquakes in India, Mahatma Gandhi solemnly warned
his compatriots that these disasters had been sent as punishment for their sins.”

(Unpopular Essay page 85-86).

The above detailed account shows sharpness of his humor and satire using which, how
beautifully he exposes the follies of dogmatism.

Ornate Style:
Though Russell’s style is generally marked with clarity and brevity, yet he a capable of
writing florid and embellished language, to prove his artistic command on writing. His
only celebrated essay “The Free Man “Worship” published in his book Mysticism and
Logic is a nice expression of his flowery and ornate style, which is an ample proof of his
nice taste and command on English language.

Most of his writings are thoughtful and argumentative in nature, but it does not mar his
clarity and fluency. The unity of thoughts pours out of his pen with a symmetry and
harmony to make his description weighty and chaste. The excellent example of Russell’s
descriptive style is seen in his own autobiography. It describes his life history narrated in
an attractive, simple and appealing way, which is read by the readers with great interest.
Lack of Symbolic Language:
Russell in his writings avoids symbolic and metaphorical language, as it is said that his
style is simple and clear, Russell does not leaves his reader in trouble of digging
meanings out of complex symbols rather he uses less complicated language. To him,
similes and metaphors are the matter of necessity. These are to be used only when there is
a dire necessity of using them.

Deepness in Thoughts:
Russell uses a simple language to expresses deep thoughts in it. As a deep thinker and a
man with scientific mood, he has infused into his style a new depth and a stream-like
continuity. They are replete with so deep thoughts like those of Bacon that we may
elaborate them in countless pages. Many sentences are like proverbs, replete with deep
meanings like:

“Extreme hopes are born of extreme misery.”

“One of the most powerful sources of false belief is envy.”

“Pride of a race is even more harmful than national pride.”

Russell’s quotations from the Bible, Shakespeare, Roman and Greek writers are
harmoniously woven into the texture of his thoughts. The Biblical phrases and quotations
lend sublimity to his prose and make his style scholarly. Russell manipulates such
allusiveness in order to make his ironical onslaughts more effective.

Elegance:

The most conspicuous characteristic of this style is elegance. Even when Russell is
dealing with ideas which are philosophical and technical, he succeeds in conveying them
to the reader by the manner in which he expresses them. He takes great pains to make
ideas clear to the reader, and yet his style is not at all forced or laborious. It is a sign of
his intellectual brilliance that he writes effortlessly and spontaneously in a style that is
singularly free from all kinds of obscurity and ambiguity. Such an effect is achieved by
him by means of his method of logical reasoning and by his habit of offering homely
examples to clarify ideas. Every thesis, every proposition, every theory, every suggestion
that he offers in the course of his Unpopular Essays is well-argued, well-reasoned, and
supported with appropriate examples, illustrations, and analogies, most of which are
drawn from either well-known facts of history or everyday life. Here is an example from
his essay in which he advocates
His point by referring to a well-known fact of governmental policy.
Education, which was at first made universal in order that all might be able to read and
write, has been found capable of serving quite other purposes. By instilling nonsense it
unifies populations and generates collective enthusiasm. If all governments taught the
same nonsense, the harm would not be so great. Unfortunately each has its own brand,
and the diversity serves to produce hostility between the devotees of different creeds.
(An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish)

An Unadorned but Effective Style:

Russell’s style is free from embellishments and ornamental effects. It is a plain,

unadorned style. It is rarely charged even with emotion, being mainly addressed to the
intelligence or the intellect as distinguished from the heart or the feelings. And yet it is
not uninteresting, dull, tedious or monotonous in its effect. As has been indicated above,
it is an elegant style with a charm of its own. Here, for instance, is a specimen of his
writing, showing an excellent combination of lucidity, clarity, and the grace of expression
in spite of lacking ornamental language it appeals to us.

Upon our collective wisdom during the next twenty years depends the question whether
mankind shall be plunged into unparalleled disaster, or shall achieve a new level of
happiness, security, well-being, and intelligence. I do know which mankind will choose.
There is grave reason for fear, but there is enough possibility of a good solution to make
hope not irrational. And it is on this hope that we must act.

(Ideas That Have Helped Mankind)

Examples and Illustrations
Russell’s intellectual brilliance is also seen in the abundance of examples and illustrations
which he provides in the course of his essays, as also in the wealth of allusions that we
find in them. In order to bring out the difference between the freedom that exists
in America and the absence of it in Russia, he gives us as many as three examples in his
essay, The Future of Mankind. In the essay, An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish, Russell
gives us a host of examples to show how people’s minds have been dominated for
centuries by superstitious beliefs. In the essay, Ideas That Have Helped Mankind, he
makes a statement that man is morally a mixture of good and evil, and then goes on to
 illustrate this statement with reference to the brutal treatment of the Jews by the German
Nazis, the expulsions of the Germans ordered by the Russians, and the attitude of the
British and the Americans towards German children, all these being concrete cases to
show the evil in man. Russell is never content with abstract statements and ideas;
everywhere we find concrete examples. Sometimes he offers parables or fables to
illustrate his point: for instance, he gives us the fable of the butchers and the bakers, and
the fable of a cow grazing in a field and running away in fright from a passing railway
train, (in the essay Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind)
The Abundance of Condensed Statements and Generalizations:
Russell’s intellectual brilliance shows itself also in his capacity for making condensed
statements and generalisations which in most cases produce a striking effect. The
following examples, chosen at random, illustrate this point:

(1) Change is scientific, progress is ethical; change is indubitable, whereas progress is a

matter of controversy. (Philosophy and Politics)

(2) Science is empirical, tentative, and undogmatic; all immutable dogma is

unscientific. (Philosophy and Politics)

Fear generates impulses of cruelty, and therefore promotes such superstitious beliefs as seem
to justify cruelty. (An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish)

(3) To the propagandist his pupils are potential soldiers in an army. (The Functions of a
Teacher)

(4) Selfishness beyond a point, whether individual or national, is not wise. It may with
luck succeed, but if it fails failure is terrible. (Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind)
Catholicity of Temper:
Russell is a liberal philosopher. He suffers from no prejudices and no pet aversions. He
has no crotchets or fads. A philosopher who is never tired of preaching a scientific temper
of mind could never be narrow-minded in any sense of the word. His mind was large
enough to take in its sweep all issues pertaining to human welfare. He has expressed his
opinions in the Unpopular Essays on many subjects—politics, economics, psychology,
ethics, education, morality, science, scepticism, communism, civilization, war, peace,
world-government, and so on. And he has dealt with these matters in a style which
reflects his catholic temper and his wide-ranging mind. He did not evolve a style
according to any premeditated theory or doctrine. His style came to him naturally.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, in his case as in the cases of other great writers, it can be said with
confidence that the style is the man. His is a style which is rich simplicity, elegance
,clarity, antitheses, contrasts, quotations, allusions, anecdotes, simple words and difficult
words, short sentences and long ones. He attaches no undue importance to any particular
ingredient of style, his only concern being clarity of expression. We cannot use a single
formula for this style as we can, for instance, for Bacon’s style (concise and
epigrammatic), for Carlyle’s style (erudite, cumbersome, and eccentric), or for Ruskin’s
style (mellifluous, musical prose). This is a style in which a perfect synthesis has been
achieved between its various ingredients. In its own way, it is a unique style, even as the
man himself was unique.
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