What I Believe cover art

What I Believe

3 Complete Essays on Religion

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What I Believe

By: Bertrand Russell
Narrated by: Terrence Hardiman
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About this listen

Remarkably relevant, beautifully written, and filled with wit and wisdom, these three essays by Bertrand Russell allow the listener to test the concepts of the good life, morality, the existence of God, Christianity, and human nature. "What I Believe" was used prominently in the 1940 New York court proceedings in which Russell was judicially declared "unfit" to teach philosophy at City College of New York. "Why I Am Not a Christian" concludes that churches throughout history have retarded progress and states that we should instead "look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in." Finally, "A Free Man's Worship", perhaps the most famous single essay written by Russell, considers whether humans operate from free will.

©1925, 1927 Bertrand Russell (P)1995 The Audio Partners Publishing
Philosophy Spirituality New York

Critic Reviews

"Russell is one of our time's brilliant spokesmen of rationality and humanity, a fearless champion of free speech and free thought." (The Swedish Academy, on awarding Bertrand Russell the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1950)

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A giant among thinkers

Clear, well-paced, balanced emphasis. The words speak for themselves. The delivery was an appropriate vehicle- neither enhancing nor diminishing.

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Interesting Personal Thoughts

Interesting, absolutely. Persuasively worded. Maps to the authors experience and understanding. Loved the narrator.

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Love Bertie but ......

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The content is as expected - brilliant Bertie, however the performance and style of reading are dreadful. So bad in fact that I'm not enjoying this audio book at all.

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Absolutely nothing. Dreadful reading style.

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