A Liberal Decalogue [1951]

Readers may be acquainted with the secular commandments enumerated at the end of this paper. The most notable of their many appearances in print (see B&R C51.43) is in the third volume of Russell’s Autobiography (1969, 60–1). Rather less familiar is the article preceding these ethical injunctions. This was written for The New York Times, where it was published as “Best Answer to Fanaticism—Liberalism”, 16 Dec. 1951, sec. 6 (“Magazine”), pp. 9, 40–2. Russell received a $90 payment for this submission—rather less than the $250 he usually commanded from the Times. 36 was reprinted, with omissions, under titles slightly different from that of the American version (see Textual Notes) in three Australian newspapers: Daily Telegraph, Sydney (31 Dec. 1951, p. 8), The Age, Melbourne (5 Jan. 1952, p. 2), and The West Australian, Perth (12 Jan. 1952, p. 11).