Bertrand Russell on Education

Joe Park

• Publisher: Bonhopai Books
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781779793737
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

In Bertrand Russell on Education, Joe Park presents a focused analysis of Russell's educational thought, drawing on interviews, Russell's own writings, and the intellectual currents surrounding him.

Park examines Russell's bold critiques of traditional schooling and his visionary proposals—arguments for freeing education from rigid irrelevance, nurturing critical thinking over rote obedience, and reconceiving the role of teacher and pupil. He explores the sources of Russell's educational theory, including his philosophical commitments and his skepticism of institutional orthodoxy. A significant portion is devoted to Russell's experiments, such as the Beacon Hill School, and how these real-world ventures reflected his ideals in practice.

 By placing Russell's ideas in context—with attention to the challenges and debates of mid-twentieth-century education—Park offers not just a summary, but a lived dialogue: how Russell thought education ought to serve freedom, moral development, and human flourishing. For students of philosophy, education reformers, or those who cherish Russell's moral voice, this is among the most direct and sympathetic guides to his vision of learning. 

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• I. Introduction
• II. Some Aspects of Bertrand Russell’s Philosophy
• III. Sources of Russell’s Theory of Education
• IV. The Church, the State, and the “Herd”
• V. Education and the Good Life
• VI. The Beacon Hill School
• VII. An Appraisal
• A Selected Bibliography