The Cancellation of Bertrand Russell | Academic Freedom and the 1940 CCNY Case

In 1940, Bertrand Russell was appointed Professor of Philosophy at the College of the City of New York. Within weeks, a New York court voided the appointment, declaring that Russell’s writings on religion, sexuality, and marriage rendered him morally unfit to teach. This video essay, read by William Laing, examines the lawsuit brought against Russell, the inflammatory court ruling that labelled his work indecent, and the failed appeals that followed. It also explores the broad coalition of academics—including Albert Einstein and John Dewey—who defended Russell on principle, even when they disagreed with his views. Eight decades later, the questions raised by the Russell case remain unsettled. What are the limits of academic freedom? Should public morality determine who may teach? And what happens when courts intervene in intellectual life? The Russell affair remains a cautionary episode in the ongoing debate over free speech and institutional autonomy in higher education. Read the original Quillette essay by James Huffman: https://quillette.com/2023/09/15/the-cancellation-of-bertrand-russell/ Subscribe to Quillette’s YouTube channel for more video essays on politics, philosophy, history, and culture. 00:00 Bertrand Russell’s appointment and judicial revocation 01:37 Early life, pacifism, imprisonment, and intellectual development 02:32 Atheism, Why I Am Not a Christian, Marriage and Morals, and public scandal 03:54 Religious opposition and the taxpayer lawsuit 04:50 Justice McGeehan’s ruling and the “chair of indecency” 06:28 Appeals, mayoral intervention, and Russell’s refusal to withdraw 08:03 Academic solidarity and defence of free expression 09:53 Media reaction, further challenges, and contemporary parallels ---- Quillette is an Australian-based online magazine that focuses on long-form analysis and cultural commentary. It is politically non-partisan, but relies on reason, science, and humanism as its guiding values. Quillette was founded in 2015 by Australian writer Claire Lehmann. It is a platform for free thought and a space for open discussion and debate on a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, science, and technology. Quillette has gained attention for publishing articles and essays that challenge modern orthodoxy on a variety of topics, including gender and sexuality, race and identity politics, and free speech and censorship. --- Quillette's revenue comes from our readers. We are a grassroots organisation that relies on voluntary subscriptions and community membership as our primary revenue stream. Support Quillette by becoming a subscriber: https://quillette.com/#/portal/signup Or donate send us a one-off tip: https://quillette.com/#/portal/support We made our website using Ghost, a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content. It comes with modern tools to build a website, publish content, send newsletters & offer paid subscriptions to members. Try it here: https://ghost.org/?via=claire91