Bertrand Russell and “The Problem of China”
A sage’s century-old look at a country on the rise
Upon arriving in China in 1920 Bertrand Russell, a British philosopher, was overwhelmed at the welcome he received. “They hail me as the second Confucius, and invite me to tell them exactly what they are to do with their country,” he wrote to a paramour. “It is a terrible responsibility.”
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Way back when”
From the December 24th 2022 edition
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