Roads to Freedom
Written as Europe emerged from the First World War, Russell’s survey (published in 1918 as Proposed Roads to Freedom) weighs three rival visions of a fairer society: socialism, anarchism, and syndicalism. He traces the ideas back to thinkers like Marx, Bakunin, and Kropotkin, then asks the practical question that interests him most, namely whether any of these systems would actually leave people freer than they are now. Russell is sympathetic to the socialist aim but wary of central control, and he keeps returning to the value of individual liberty and creative work. The result is a clear, humane introduction to political theory from one of the century’s sharpest minds. Free to download as a PDF or EPUB.
About the Author
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and social critic, and a founder of analytic philosophy. A tireless public intellectual, he wrote on everything from mathematical logic to pacifism and won the 1950 Nobel Prize in Literature.
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Listen to Roads to Freedom Audiobook Free
Listen to Roads to Freedom by Bertrand Russell free online. The full audiobook (5 hr 52 min, 9 chapters, read by volunteer narrators) streams free on this page.
Roads to Freedom (1918) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00 - Introduction | 16:06 | |
| 2 | 01 - Marx and Socialist Doctrine | 43:32 | |
| 3 | 02 - Bakunin and Anarchism | 38:28 | |
| 4 | 03 - The Syndicalist Revolt | 51:09 | |
| 5 | 04 - Work and Play | 41:56 | |
| 6 | 05 - Government and Law | 44:49 | |
| 7 | 06 - International Relations | 37:49 | |
| 8 | 07 - Science and Art Under Socialism | 30:15 | |
| 9 | 08 - The World as it Could be Made | 48:22 |
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