Religion and Science
2. The Views of Bertrand Russell
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2. THE VIEWS OF BERTRAND RUSSELL
It was in 1966 that I decided to study the works of
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970). Fortunately, I found a
whole set of his books in a nearby library. But when
I arrived home with this pile of books my wife was
shocked. “Now you will surely go astray!” she
exclaimed. It has to be accepted that Russell is the
most extreme of all the atheists of the modern age,
and his writing is so persuasive that one does run
the risk of turning atheist after having read him. But
by the grace of God, I entered into Russell’s world,
then re-emerged with my faith not only intact, but
greatly fortified.
Of all the modern philosophers, Russell has carried
out the most broad-ranging of studies. The only
possible parallel to his work is that of Whitehead, a
contemporary and fellow-intellectual. Russell
himself said of his life’s work, which extended over
almost an entire century: “There is only one
constant preoccupation: I have throughout been
anxious to discover how much one can be said to
know and with what degree of certainty or
doubtfulness.”
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