The Prospects of Industrial Civilization

First published in 1923, The Prospects of Industrial Civilization is considered the most ambitious of Bertrand Russell's works on modern society. It offers a rare glimpse into often-ignored subtleties of his political thought and in it he argues that industrialism is a threat to human freedom, since it is fundamentally linked with nationalism. His proposal for one government for the whole world as the ultimate solution, along with his argument that the global village and prevailing political democracy should be its eventual results, is both provocative and thoroughly engaging.

Preface to the Second Edition; Preface to the First Edition; Introduction; Part 1 1. Caused of Present Chaos 2. Inherent Tendencies of Industrialism 3. Industrialism and Private Property 4. Interactions of Industrialism and Nationalism 5. The Transition to Internationalism 6. Socialism on Undeveloped Countries 7. Socialism in Advanced Countries Part 2 8. What Makes a Social System Good or Bad? 9. Moral Standards and Social Well-Being 10. The Sources of Power 11. Education 12. Economic Organisation and Mental Freedom Index