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...
became evolution man since taken
Since evolution became fashionable, the glorification of Man has taken a new form.
action adequate cannot creed majority nonsense vast
There is no nonsense so arrant that it cannot be made the creed of the vast majority by adequate governmental action
causes desire events food great main political
Undoubtedly the desire for food has been, and still is, one of the main causes of great political events
artificial man natural sort venture whether worse
Whether artificial man will be better or worse than the natural sort I do not venture to predict.
care children
We must care about the world of our children and grandchildren, a world we may never see.
admitted believe communion needs pattern purgatory scientific socrates
The Platonic Socrates was a pattern to subsequent Philosophers for many ages. As a man, we may believe him admitted to the communion of saints; but as a philosopher he needs a long residence in a scientific purgatory
early opponents religious toleration
Those who first advocated religious toleration were thought wicked, and so were the early opponents of slavery.
force free tradition tyranny worthy
To be worthy of the name, he must be free of two things; the force of tradition and tyranny of his own passions.
certainty men
What men want is not knowledge, but certainty.
accept acting affords against believes desires evidence explained fact goes himself man myths offered origin reason refuse slightest unless
What a man believes upon grossly insufficient evidence is an index into his desires -- desires of which he himself is often unconscious. If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.
bizarre happen history prevent professors realizing
The professors must not prevent us from realizing that history is fun, and that the most bizarre things really happen
forged honest
There are no better friends than those forged through honest and often heated argument.
average intelligence less man moralist
The professional moralist in our day is a man of less than average intelligence
add certain certainty nearly others
When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also add that some things are more nearly certain than others