BR TO GILBERT MURRAY, 18 JAN. 1941
BRACERS 52403. ALS. Murray papers, Bodleian
Edited by W. Bruneau. Proofread by A.G. Bone

[Permanent address] Little Datchet Farm, Malvern, R.D.1. Pa., U.S.A.
January 18, 1941

My dear Gilbert

I was very glad to get your good letter of Oct. 23. I am now established in a small country house 200 years old — very ancient for this part of the world — in lovely country, with pleasant work. If the world were at peace I could be very happy.

As to the future: It seems to me that if we win, we shall win completely; I cannot think the Nazis will survive. America will dominate, and will probably not withdraw as in 1919; America will not be war-weary, and will believe resolutely in the degree of democracy that exists here. I am accordingly fairly optimistic. There is good hope that the militaristic régime in Japan will collapse, and I do not believe China will ever be really militaristic. Russia, I think, will be the greatest difficulty, especially if finally on our side. I have no doubt that the Soviet Government is even worse than Hitler’s, and it will be a misfortune if it survives. There can be no permanent peace unless there is only one air force in the world, with the degree of international government that that implies. Disarmament alone, though good, will not make peace secure.

Opinion here varies with the longitude. In the East people are passionately pro-English; we are treated with extra kindness in shops as soon as people notice our accent. In California they are anti-Japanese but not pro-English; in the Middle West they were rather anti-English. But everywhere opinion is very rapidly coming over to the conviction that we must not be defeated.

It is rather dreadful to be out of it all. I envy Rosalind as much as I admire her.

I am giving a 4-year course of lectures on history of philosophy in relation to culture and social circumstances, from Thales to Dewey. As I can’t read Greek, this is rather cheek; but anyway I enjoy it. I divide it into 3 cycles, Greek, Catholic, Protestant. In each case the gradual decay of an irrational dogma leads to anarchy, and thence to dictatorship. I like the growth of Catholicism out of Greek decadence, and of Luther out of Machiavelli’s outlook.

I remember your description of Sophocles (which you afterwards denied) as “a combination of matricide and high spirits”. I remember, also, when I besought you to admit merit in “hark, hark the lark”, you said it ought to go on “begins to bark”. I disagree with you about Shakespeare. I don’t know enough about Sophocles to have an opinion. At the moment, I am full of admiration for Anaximander and amazement at Pythagoras, who combined Einstein and Mrs. Eddy. I disapprove of Plato because he wanted to prohibit all music except Rule Britannia and The British Grenadiers. Moreover, he invented the Pecksniffian style of the Times leading articles.

Do write again. Goodbye.

Yours ever
Bertrand Russell.