Bertrand Russell (19 May 1872), a British philosopher, was well-known for his writings concerning social and moral issues. “In praise Idleness,” a 1935 book, is one such example. These thoughts were common during the period of industrial revolution and undeveloped states. This article, as the title implies, discusses how important leisure time is in every person’s life. This article is based on personal experiences and good structure. He uses punctuations and transitions well and maintains a focus on the claim. However, he sometimes uses sentences that raise doubts in the mind of readers, but he still conveys his main point.
Russell talks about the problems that people face when they believe work is beneficial. Russell also states that one person’s inactivity is due to the entire gospel of work/labor. This must be eliminated, as it will lead to economic instability and war. He describes the culture in both classes by stating that men from wealthy families are not allowed to work alongside women. The writer presents both his arguments as well as the solutions to them. This shows that the writer has thought through the problem before the reader. The author wants to make the reader aware of the importance of leisure and how it can be beneficial in everyday living. The article may be considered opinion-based. If the arguments are clear and coherent, this can make it convincing. He claims policy by stating that economic chaos can occur if not everyone is taken care of. To convince his audience, he uses persuasive methods such as pathos. These devices make reading more effective, and Russell uses all of them.
Russell begins by telling the reader a story that caught his attention. The author tries to convince the reader that he is a writer who believes work is highly virtuous. The reader may think he is arguing against work, but he counters this by proving his point. Russell stated, “Aslong as a person spends his earnings, he puts the same bread into others”s stomachs in earning,” this indicates that he has credibility to answer questions. He called some people “French Peasants” because they only want to earn money for their savings. These thoughts are unbiased. He is not opposed to leisure but he isn’t defending work.
Russell observed that power holders believed workers worked only for their masters. He called this “morality in slavery”. This problem is solved by Russell who states that “providing goods and services” should suffice to realize the duty of one’s work to satisfy oneself. The use of specific words that are eye-catching and catch the attention draws the reader in and convinces him to feel emotions through pathos.
He gives solutions and questions the argument to make it more real. He addresses those who oppose his arguments. Russell makes this argument by comparing Russia’s economy to West’s and arguing that unjust economic cultures will lead war and destruction. The idea of war is a constant reminder to readers that economic justice and equal enjoyment must be preserved between rich and poor. Russell also questions the morality behind a slave state. He uses the example of pin manufacturing to show how this would affect people’s motivations. He also offers a solution by stating that scientific organization can lower the labor cost and provide pleasure for the worker. This shows that the writer is not only able to provide solutions but also arguments for his ideas, and that he can give sound reasons to readers that his argument holds true.
Russell used counter arguments as well as solutions to convince the reader of his arguments. Thus, any question the reader may have, Russell will provide the answer. This is a sign of the author’s forethought about the claims he makes. He says, “Leisure and leisure are essential to civilization”; in the past, the only way to enjoy leisure was through the work of many. However, their labors are valuable because it is not good work but because it is good for leisure.
He uses rhetorical tools to say that “Mediterranean sunshine” is necessary for positive change to occur. He claims that his arguments will make more sense if they are based on logic than ethos. Furthermore, he describes how the YCMA works. This draws the reader in and persuades them to use credible sources. He persuades by correct punctuation. To persuade the audience, he uses logos, ethos and pathos. The credibility of an author who gives arguments based on personal experiences establishes his ethos. The article is written to convince the reader using historical background and logic. Russell claims that workers will not say they enjoy manual work. This makes the article persuasive. It appeals to the reader’s emotions because the same thought is in his mind.
All of this aside, he convinces everyone by proving his claim with data. His data and work are not virtuous, he claims. He says that work does not give pleasure while idleness does. This warrant is the belief that happiness is morality and that we should pursue it. These are the positive aspects: coherence between ideas, connections between them, Aristotle’s appeals, arguments against arguments.
The article is not without its faults. He also stated that “leisure is essential to civilization” when he said that idleness was due to work by others. This indicates that the author supports idleness over pleasure for all. However, he should clearly state whether he’s talking about leisure for just one person or for everyone. He still manages to convince the audience despite all of his other claims and supports. The author has successfully used appeals to strengthen arguments but it is not in line with his main claim. While his main claim to reduce work hours is to equally distribute work and to improve the quality of work, his title implies that he is encouraging idle people. Authors should give their article a title that is more descriptive of idleness than leisure or pleasure.
His argument is persuasive and appeals to the senses. His argument against the virtue of work is strong and he gives pre-historic context to back it up. His idleness does not mean he will do nothing. Instead, it refers to the importance of taking time out to recharge his skills. He does not dispute the main point, but it is possible to improve his argument by suggesting a way of using idle time. He also stated that wealthy people believed that the poor were only working for their own interests. Tzu’s idea that man is evil and that laws are needed to regulate good thoughts shows this. Jack Ma is an excellent example. Ma had many failures in life but found joy in following his heart. Effective use ethos, pathos or logos can make the main claim stand out and help the reader think in parallel with the author.
Works citГ©es
“HSUN TZU MAN’S NATURE EVIL.” Basic Wordings, by Xunzi & Burton Watson. Columbia University Press. 1963. pp. 157-171.
“In Praise for Idleness.” INPRAISE OF IDLENESS. By BERTRAND RUSSELL. Routeledge. 1935
