Bertrand Russell and The Conquest of Happiness

By prof.Abdelhamid 

Bertrand Russell was the most influential philosopher of the twentieth century, having written some of the most seminal works in both mathematical logic and analytic philosophy. During his long life, he was also one of the world’s most celebrated public intellectuals. While occasionally infamous for his unconventional views, he received many honors, includ­ing the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950.

He wrote about history, politics, education, marriage, atoms, relativity, religion, and happiness. It is the last of these subjects that we shall expand upon, focusing mainly on the themes of his book, The Conquest of Happiness, first published in 1930. However, we should begin by saying something about Russell’s long life.

It is evident from Russell’s auto­biographical material and correspondence that he had many bouts with depression and that they diminished in frequency and intensity only after he reached his fifties. Perhaps it is not altogether surprising that Russell would write about happiness, given his own personal struggles for contentment. The subject was also in keeping with his general outlook on ethical matters, informed partly by the writings of his godfather, John Stuart Mill, a leading representative of the utilitarian school. There are several species of utilitarianism, but the most common holds that the main goal of ethics is to spread the greatest amount of happiness to the greatest number.

Russell was unaware of what we now know about depression, brain chemistry, and pharmacology, so some of his thinking is old-fashioned. An avid student of science and admirer of the scientific method, he would have been quick to adopt the prevailing scientific knowledge. Some of his views on the sexes and other matters are antiquated, though it should be remembered that Russell was at the leading edge of progressive thought in his day. Allowing for such things, his The Conquest of Happiness is replete with observations and prescriptions grounded in common sense, and many of his ideas hold up well. Moreover, his mastery of English prose and his rapier wit make it easy and fun to read.

Russell did not write this book for people unable to remedy their circumstances, whether due to the exigencies of poverty, oppression, mental illness and other diseases, or even tragic personal circumstances. He was not so foolish as to believe that anyone could overcome any adversity. He wrote it for people not beset with the most serious obstacles—those who were most likely to read it in the first place. Furthermore, while he thought the absence of unhappiness was a necessary condition for happiness, he did not see it as a sufficient condition; rather, happiness was something one had to acquire, indeed, conquer, as the title suggests.