“Improperganda”: The Reception of Bertrand Russell’s Marriage and Morals Immediately After Publication

Abstract: Marriage and Morals is one of Russell’s most famous and best-selling books. Its publication brought about considerable public debate fuelled in part by a large number of book reviews in newspapers and popular periodicals. Here I outline some of the issues that most exercised reviewers. Despite the book’s sensational nature, it is noteworthy that many reviewers either recognized that Russell was mostly restating, albeit very well, established critiques about contemporary morality, and/or largely missed what was distinctive in Russell’s contribution to the debate.