Bertrand Russel
Bertrand Russel
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRSwas a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, political activist and Nobel laureate. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had "never been any of these things, in any profound sense". He was born in Monmouthshire into one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the United Kingdom...
ends good produce results rules sought sufficient unless whatever
Rules of conduct, whatever they may be are not sufficient to produce good results unless the ends sought are good
ancient conception derived god oriental
The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms.
body brought control executive existence increase officials positions power subject true
The increase of organization has brought into existence new positions of power. Every body has to have executive officials, in whom, at any moment, its power is concentrated. It is true that officials are usually subject to control, but the control m
agree appeared led man obviously opinion process progress though whether
A process which led from the amoebae to man appeared to the philosophers to be obviously a progress - though whether the amoebae would agree with this opinion is not known.
beliefs beyond conduct contrary dominating emotional held mean methods religion
By religion I mean a set of beliefs held as dogmas, dominating the conduct of life, going beyond or contrary to evidence, and inculcated by methods which are emotional or authoritarian, not intellectual
deny logically utmost
This is a pretty fable, and I will not deny that it is logically possible, but that is the utmost that I will concede.
contact great individual rest sources work
Love, children, and work are the great sources of fertilizing contact between the individual and the rest of the world
brings cessation happiness merely momentary temporary
Drunkenness is temporary suicide: the happiness that it brings is merely negative, a momentary cessation of unhappiness
admire asked certainly conclusion effort eternal lame less supreme
For my part, I find even eternal damnation less incredible, certainly less ridiculous, than this lame and impotent conclusion which we are asked to admire as the supreme effort of Omnipotence
children credit defect fathers
The fundamental defect of fathers is that they want their children to be a credit to them
die people rather
Most people would rather die than think: many do.
chief earth fear glory great hell light looks men merciless pit ruin subversive swift
Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth more than ruin more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.
belief believe god human large observe offended portion punishment race suffers uneasy unlikely vanity visible
I observe that a very large portion of the human race does not believe in God and suffers no visible punishment in consequence. And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that he would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who
available delights dictators ecstasy enjoy madmen since solitary
If we could all live solitary and without labor, we could all enjoy this ecstasy of independence; since we cannot, its delights are only available to madmen and dictators