Mysticism and Logic (1918) collects some of Bertrand Russell’s most accessible and admired essays. In the title piece he contrasts the mystical and the scientific impulses in philosophy, arguing for the disciplined claims of logic while acknowledging the emotional sources of mystical insight. Other essays examine the methods of science and the foundations of mathematics.
The volume also contains “A Free Man’s Worship,” Russell’s eloquent meditation on how to live nobly in an indifferent universe, a piece long cherished as a classic of secular philosophy. Throughout, Russell writes with clarity, wit, and moral seriousness, making difficult questions vivid for the general reader. As an introduction to one of the twentieth century’s greatest philosophers, this collection is hard to better—rigorous in thought yet beautifully plain in expression.