Unpopular Essay By Bertrand Russell Rhetorical Analysis

I enjoyed reading Bertrand Russell’s essay “Unpopular Essays”. I gained a lot of useful ideas and knowledge from reading it. The mentioned section where Russell talks about “the demand for certainty…” was a fairly difficult part to fully understand. Russell talked about how as humans we thirst for absolute knowledge (certainty) and it is only human nature to do so. Ever since the civilization of man we have strived to master natural forces, of acquiring the knowledge and the skill required to produce tools and weapons and to encourage Nature in the production of useful animals and plants. With these skills comes our certainty, our ability to predict and make sound decisions through knowing we understand of what is around. Vice in this statement in my opinion simply means a tool. Something that is used to obtain what we want. The demand for certainty is what we lust for, but in actually it is only a tool that helps us grow into better people.

In the essay Russell gives us examples of how he interprets this quote.

“If you take your children for a picnic on a doubtful day, they will demand a dogmatic answer as to whether it will be fine or wet, and be disappointed in you when you cannot be sure. The same sort of assurance is demanded, in later life, of those who undertake to lead populations into the Promised
Philosophy forces us to question what we know in order to truly find out if it is correct. You have to research, read, and take in outside new information and this will make us certain in what we know. I think this is most evident in logics. When you think about logic you have to think about what is ethical and makes sense so that all opportunity cost are accounted for and calculated. To make a decision without logic is possible, but it is more so a tool that is used to understand more or make a sound decision. Logic itself is not what we actually