Beliefs and opinions George Bernard Shaw

—leonard feinberg, satirist (2006)

in lifetime shaw professed many beliefs, contradictory. inconsistency partly intentional provocation—the spanish scholar-statesman salvador de madariaga describes shaw pole of negative electricity set in people of positive electricity . in 1 area @ least shaw constant: in lifelong refusal follow normal english forms of spelling , punctuation. favoured archaic spellings such shew show ; dropped u in words honour , favour ; , wherever possible rejected apostrophe in contractions such won t or s . in will, shaw ordered that, after specified legacies, remaining assets form trust pay fundamental reform of english alphabet phonetic version of forty letters. though shaw s intentions clear, drafting flawed, , courts ruled intended trust void. later out-of-court agreement provided sum of £8,300 spelling reform; bulk of fortune went residuary legatees—the british museum, royal academy of dramatic art , national gallery of ireland. of £8,300 went on special phonetic edition of androcles , lion in shavian alphabet, published in 1962 largely indifferent reception.

shaw s views on religion , christianity less consistent. having in youth proclaimed himself atheist, in middle age explained reaction against old testament image of vengeful jehovah. twentieth century, termed himself mystic , although gary sloan, in essay on shaw s beliefs, disputes credentials such. in 1913 shaw declared not religious in sectarian sense , aligning himself jesus person of no religion . in preface (1915) androcles , lion, shaw asks why not give christianity chance? contending britain s social order resulted continuing choice of barabbas on christ. in broadcast before second world war, shaw invoked sermon on mount, moving exhortation, , gives 1 first-rate tip, despitefully use , persecute . in will, shaw stated religious convictions , scientific views cannot @ present more defined of believer in creative revolution . requested no 1 should imply accepted beliefs of specific religious organisation, , no memorial him should take form of cross or other instrument of torture or symbol of blood sacrifice .

shaw espoused racial equality, , inter-marriage between people of different races. despite expressed wish fair hitler, called anti-semitism hatred of lazy, ignorant fat-headed gentile pertinacious jew who, schooled adversity use brains utmost, outdoes him in business . in jewish chronicle wrote in 1932, in every country can find rabid people have phobia against jews, jesuits, armenians, negroes, freemasons, irishmen, or foreigners such. political parties not above exploiting these fears , jealousies.

in 1903 shaw joined in controversy vaccination against smallpox. called vaccination peculiarly filthy piece of witchcraft ; in view immunisation campaigns cheap , inadequate substitute decent programme of housing poor, would, declared, means of eradicating smallpox , other infectious diseases. less contentiously, shaw keenly interested in transport; laurence observed in 1992 need published study of shaw s interest in bicycling, motorbikes, automobiles, , planes, climaxing in joining interplanetary society in nineties . shaw published articles on travel, took photographs of journeys, , submitted notes royal automobile club.

shaw strove throughout adult life referred bernard shaw rather george bernard shaw , confused matters continuing use full initials—g.b.s.—as by-line, , signed himself g. bernard shaw . left instructions in his executor (the public trustee) license publication of works under name bernard shaw. shaw scholars including ervine, judith evans, holroyd, laurence , weintraub, , many publishers have respected shaw s preference, although cambridge university press among exceptions 1988 cambridge companion george bernard shaw.

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