Bertrand_Russell_Collection外文翻译.pdf

www.skeptic.ca A Free Mans Worship by Bertrand Russell A brief introduction: A Free Mans Worship (first published as The Free Mans Worship in Dec. 1903) is perhaps Bertrand Russells best known and most reprinted essay. Its mood and language have often been explained, even by Russell himself, as reflecting a particular time in his life; it depend(s), he wrote in 1929, upon a metaphysic which is more platonic than that which I now believe in. Yet the essay sounds many characteristic Russellian themes and preoccupations and deserves consideration--and further serious study--as an historical landmark of early-twentieth- century European thought. For a scholarly edition with some documentation, see Volume 12 of The Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell, entitled Contemplation and Action, 1902-14 (London, 1985; now published by Routledge). To Dr. Faustus in his study Mephistopheles told the history of the Creation, saying: The endless praises of the choirs of angels had begun to grow wearisome; for, after all, did he not deserve their praise? Had he not given them endless joy? Would it not be more amusing to obtain undeserved praise, to be worshipped by beings whom he tortured? He smiled inwardly, and resolved that the great drama should be performed. For countless ages the hot nebula whirled aimlessly through space. At length it began to take shape, the central mass threw off planets, the planets cooled, boiling seas and burning mountains heaved and tossed, from black masses of cloud hot sheets of rain deluged the barely solid crust. And now the first germ of life grew in the depths of the ocean, and developed rapidly in the fructifying warmth into vast forest trees, huge ferns springing from the damp mould, sea monsters breeding, fighting, devouring, and passing away. And from the monsters, as the play unfolded itself, Man was born, with the power of thought, the knowledge of good and evil, and the cruel thirst for worship. And M