BR TO OTTOLINE MORRELL, 13 DEC. 1911
BRACERS 17374. ALS. Morrell papers #286, Texas. SLBR 1: #181
Edited by N. Griffin. Proofread by K. Blackwell and A. Duncan

Wed. 13 Dec. ’111^, 2 [I don’t know what made me think yesterday was the 13th]3

My Darling Darling

Your 2 dear letters in one envelope came this morning — I woke up for once before I was called, so I got up and fetched them out of the box — they were a great joy. Yes, you give me faith, not only or chiefly in my own powers, but in the things I fundamentally believe. All my beliefs are apt to grow dim at times, but you keep them burning. It will be sadly few days before Xmas, and not many more after if you are away till after the New Year. I have to be back at latest on the morning of Thursday 18th. Still that ought to leave at least a fortnight. If it is really fixed that you go to Oxford the 21st, I will go to my aunt then, and to the Whiteheads 23rd. I am sorry you are tired again — I do hope it is not bad. I am glad you liked the 2nd thing I sent you4 — I thought it was rather too pathetic, which is the fault those old writings most run to.

In spite of having slept so long in my chair I slept another 7 hours in bed, and I am not really awake yet. I have read a good deal of Ward,5 and ordered two more fenders6 — otherwise nothing has happened to me.

During this past year I have written 3 Paris lectures (of which 2 are published and the 3rd soon will be),7 my shilling shocker, the Aristotelian paper, and Prisons. Considering how much time has been taken up in lectures and proofs and seeing pupils, I don’t feel seriously dissatisfied. But I have an uneasiness about philosophy altogether; what remains for me to do in philosophy (I mean in technical philosophy) does not seem of first-rate importance. The shilling shocker really seems to me better worth doing. It is all puzzling and obscure. For so many years I have had absolutely no choice as to work that I have got out of the way of wondering what is best to do. I think really the important thing now is to make the ideas I already have intelligible. And I ought to try to get away from pedantry. My feelings have changed about all this; I did think the technical philosophy that remains for me to do very important indeed.

I will try to write out what I think about philosophy; it will help to clear up my own ideas. All the historic problems of philosophy seem to me either insoluble or soluble by methods which are not philosophical, but mathematical or scientific. The last word of philosophy on all of them seems to me to be that à priori any of the alternatives is possible. Thus e.g. as to God: traditional philosophy proved him: I think some forms of God impossible, some possible, none necessary. As to immortality: philosophy can only say it may be true or it may be false; any more definite answer would have to come from psychical research. As to whether nothing exists except mind: philosophy, it seems to me, can only say that all the arguments addressed on either side are fallacious, and that there is absolutely no evidence either way. And I should say the same of optimism and pessimism. Except as a stimulus to the imagination, almost the only use of philosophy, I should say, is to combat errors induced by science and religion. Religion says all things work together for good; philosophy says this belief is groundless. Science leads people to think there is no absolute good and bad, but only evolved beliefs about good and bad, which are useful to gregarious animals in the struggle for existence; philosophy equally says this belief is groundless.

All this is rather dismal. But as a stimulus to the imagination I think philosophy is important. But this use is not so much for the technical philosopher, but rather for the man who wants to see his own special pursuit connected with the cosmos; therefore it is popular rather than technical philosophy that fulfils their need. This is fundamentally why I think it is more useful to write popular than technical philosophy.

There is one great question: Can human beings know anything, and if so what and how? This question is really the most essentially philosophical of all questions. But ultimately one has to come down to a sheer assertion that one does know this or that — e.g. one’s own existence — and then one can ask why one knows it, and whether anything else fulfils the same conditions. But what is important is this inquiry can, I think, be done quite popularly; the technical refinements add very little except controversy and long words. I was reinforced in this view by finding how much I could say on the question in the shilling shocker.

I shall be interested to know what you have to say. Generally when we discuss these things I talk and talk and at the end you have escaped without saying anything. I shall make a list and put you through a Viva.

Tomorrow at 9 I shall come to Bedford Square unless I hear to the contrary. I hope you won’t be nearly dead. Goodbye Darling. I can’t tell you how I long to have you back.

Your loving
B.

• 1

  [document] Document 000286. Proofread against a colour scan of the original.

• 2

  [envelope] A circled “286”. The Lady Ottoline Morrell | Towneley Villa | Burnley | Lancashire. Pmk: LONDON.W.C. | 2.15 PM | DEC 13 11

• 3

  [I don’t know what made me think yesterday was the 13th] The previous day’s letter was dated “13 December”. He had mentioned in it that 13 December was his wedding anniversary and that Alys, to whom such things were important, would feel it very much.

• 4

  I am glad you liked the second thing I sent you. Ottoline had referred to two unidentified manuscripts that Russell had given her.

• 5

  I have read a good deal of Ward James Ward’s The Realm of Ends (1911), which BR was reviewing for the Nation (B&R C12.02; 32 in Papers 6).

• 6

  ordered two more fenders Presumably for the new flat. Ottoline helped Bertie furnish and decorate it. Ironically, in view of their efforts to keep their affair secret, Ottoline’s friends immediately recognized her influence on its decoration.

• 7

  During this past year I have written 3 Paris lectures (of which 2 are published and the 3rd soon will be) “Le Réalisme analytique”, Bulletin de la Société française de philosophie (1911; B&R C11.02); “L’Importance philosophique de la logistique”, Revue de métaphysique et de morale (1911; B&R C11.03); “Sur les axiomes de l’infini et du transfini”, Bulletin de la Société mathématique de France (1911; B&R C11.05). It was the third paper that had not yet been published. They are, respectively, 14, 2 and 3 in Papers 6, with the French originals of 14 and 3 in Appendices IV and V, respectively.