资源描述：
《a free man's worship：一个自由人的崇拜》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在行业资料-天天文库。
1、AFreeMan'sWorshipbyBertrandRussell Abriefintroduction:"AFreeMan'sWorship"(firstpublishedas"TheFreeMan'sWorship"inDec.1903)isperhapsBertrandRussell'sbestknownandmostreprintedessay.Itsmoodandlanguagehaveoftenbeenexplained,evenbyRussellhimself,asreflectingaparticulartimeinhislife;"itdepend(s),"he
2、wrotein1929,"uponametaphysicwhichismoreplatonicthanthatwhichInowbelievein."YettheessaysoundsmanycharacteristicRussellianthemesandpreoccupationsanddeservesconsideration--andfurtherseriousstudy--asanhistoricallandmarkofearly-twentieth-centuryEuropeanthought.Forascholarlyeditionwithsomedocumentatio
3、n,seeVolume12ofTheCollectedPapersofBertrandRussell,entitledContemplationandAction,1902-14(London,1985;nowpublishedbyRoutledge).ToDr.FaustusinhisstudyMephistophelestoldthehistoryoftheCreation,saying:"Theendlesspraisesofthechoirsofangelshadbeguntogrowwearisome;for,afterall,didhenotdeservetheirprai
4、se?Hadhenotgiventhemendlessjoy?Woulditnotbemoreamusingtoobtainundeservedpraise,tobeworshippedbybeingswhomhetortured?Hesmiledinwardly,andresolvedthatthegreatdramashouldbeperformed."Forcountlessagesthehotnebulawhirledaimlesslythroughspace.Atlengthitbegantotakeshape,thecentralmassthrewoffplanets,th
5、eplanetscooled,boilingseasandburningmountainsheavedandtossed,fromblackmassesofcloudhotsheetsofraindelugedthebarelysolidcrust.Andnowthefirstgermoflifegrewinthedepthsoftheocean,anddevelopedrapidlyinthefructifyingwarmthintovastforesttrees,hugefernsspringingfromthedampmould,seamonstersbreeding,fight
6、ing,devouring,andpassingaway.Andfromthemonsters,astheplayunfoldeditself,Manwasborn,withthepowerofthought,theknowledgeofgoodandevil,andthecruelthirstforworship.AndMansawthatallispassinginthismad,monstrousworld,thatallisstrugglingtosnatch,atanycost,afewbriefmomentsoflifebeforeDeath'sinexorabledecr
7、ee.AndMansaid:'Thereisahiddenpurpose,couldwebutfathomit,andthepurposeisgood;forwemustreverencesomething,andinthevisibleworldthereisnothingworthyofreverence.'AndManstoodasidefromthestruggle,resolvingthatGodintendedharmonytoco
