Science and Human Life [1955]

THIS PAPER OPENED What Is Science? (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1955; London: Victor Gollancz, 1956), a collection of twelve essays edited by James R. Newman (1907-1966), an American lawyer and government official who had sat on the editorial board of Scientific American since 1948. Newman also possessed expertise in two areas of special interest to Russell, namely mathematical logic and atomic energy policy. The book was described to Russell by Newman as “a survey for the general reader of knowledge in the main departments of science, with articles by persons in the forefront of each branch” (1 Dec. 1954). Russell’s contribution-pp. 6-17 (B&R B111)—is preceded by a three-page biographical sketch, written, presumably, by the editor. He had contacted Russell on 1 December 1954 to offer an initial payment of $250 for a 3,0005,000 word “unifying essay, dealing with the social bearings of science”. Russell accepted the commission five days later, describing Newman’s proposal as “attractive”. He had two alternative titles in mind when on 3 March 1955 he dictated these enumerated “Headings for Science and Society or Science and Human Life”:

I Science has already changed society more than it has been changed in the previous 4,000 years, and it is likely to go on changing it with increasing speed.