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Bertrand Russell Quotes - Page 39

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By self-interest, Man has become gregarious, but in instinct he has remained to a great extent solitary; hence the need of religion and morality to reinforce self-interest.

By self-interest, Man has become gregarious, but in instinct he has remained to a great extent solitary; hence the need of religion and morality to reinforce self-interest.

Bertrand Russell
Men, Self, Needs
Bertrand Russell (2008). “History of Western Philosophy”, p.681, Simon and Schuster

I have throughout been curious about how much we can be said to know and with what degree of certainty or doubtfulness.

Bertrand Russell
Curiosity, Degrees, Curious

Heretical views arise when the truth is uncertain, and it is only when the truth is uncertain that censorship is invoked.

Bertrand Russell
Truth, Views, Speech
Bertrand Russell (1972). “Atheism: collected essays, 1943-1949”, Arno Pr

[The church] is in its major part an opponent still of progress and improvement in all the ways that diminish suffering in the world, because it has chosen to label as morality a certain narrow set of rules of conduct which have nothing to do with human happiness; and when you say that this or that ought to be done because it would make for human happiness, they think that has nothing to do with the matter at all. "What has human happiness to do with morals? The object of morals is not to make people happy.

Bertrand Russell
Thinking, People, Suffering
Bertrand Russell (2016). “Why I Am Not a Christian”, p.18, Lulu Press, Inc

When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit that some things are much more nearly certain than others. It is much more nearly certain that we are assembled here tonight than it is that this or that political party is in the right. Certainly there are degrees of certainty, and one should be very careful to emphasize that fact, because otherwise one is landed in an utter skepticism, and complete skepticism would, of course, be totally barren and completely useless.

Bertrand Russell
Party, Thinking, Political
Bertrand Russell (2016). “Why I Am Not a Christian”, p.22, Lulu Press, Inc

Bacon not only despised the syllogism, but undervalued mathematics, presumably as insufficiently experimental. He was virulently hostile to Aristotle , but he thought very highly of Democritus , Although he did not deny that the course of nature exemplifies a Divine purpose, he objected to any admixture of teleological explanation in the actual investigation of phenomena; everything, he held, should be explained as following necessarily from efficient causes .

Bertrand Russell
Purpose, Causes, Mathematics
Bertrand Russell (2004). “History of Western Philosophy”, p.499, Routledge

Thee will find out in time that I have a great love of professing vile sentiments, I don't know why, unless it springs from long efforts to avoid priggery.

Bertrand Russell
Spring, Long, Great Love
Bertrand Russell, Nicholas Griffin (2002). “The Selected Letters of Bertrand Russell: The Private Years, 1884-1914”, p.46, Psychology Press

I believe that Communism is necessary to the world, and I believe that the heroism of Russia has fired men's hopes in a way which was essential to the realization of Communism in the future. Regarded as a splendid attempt, without which ultimate success would have been very improbable, Bolshevism deserves the gratitude and admiration of all the progressive part of mankind.

Bertrand Russell
Gratitude, Believe, Men
Bertrand Russell (1972). “Bolshevism: practice and theory”, Ayer Co Pub

I must confess that I am deeply troubled. I fear that human beings are intent upon acting out a vast deathwish and that it lies with us now to make every effort to promote resistance to the insanity and brutality of policies which encompass the extermination of hundreds of millions of human beings.

Bertrand Russell
Lying, Effort, Insanity
Bertrand Russell (1967). “The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell”

Life seems to me essentially passion, conflict, rage. It is only intellect that keeps me sane; perhaps this makes me overvalue intellect against feeling.

Bertrand Russell
Passion, Feelings, Conflict
Letter to Lady Ottoline Morrell in 1912. "The life of Bertrand Russell". Book by Ronald W. Clark, p. 174, 1975.

it [is] possible to suppose that, if Russia is allowed to have peace, an amazing industrial development may take place, making Russia a rival of the United States.

Bertrand Russell
Russia, United States, Development
Bertrand Russell, Richard A. Rempel, Beryl Haslam (2000). “Uncertain Paths to Freedom: Russia and China, 1919-22”, p.190, Psychology Press

One of the commonest things to do with savings is to lend them to some Government. In view of the fact that the bulk of the public expenditure of most civilized Governments consists in payment for past wars or preparation for future wars, the man who lends his money to a Government is in the same position as the bad men in Shakespeare who hire murderers. The net result of the man's economical habits is to increase the armed forces of the State to which he lends his savings. Obviously it would be better if he spent the money, even if he spent it in drink or gambling.

Bertrand Russell
War, Men, Past
Bertrand Russell (2015). “In Praise of Idleness”, p.5, Lulu Press, Inc

no one ever gossips about the virtues of others

Bertrand Russell
Gossip, Virtue

I can only say that, while my own opinions as to ethics do not satisfy me, other people's satisfy me still less.

Bertrand Russell
People, Ethics, Opinion
Bertrand Russell, John G. Slater, Peter Köllner (1997). “Last Philosophical Testament: 1943-68”, p.51, Psychology Press

The late F. W. H. Myers used to tell how he asked a man at a dinner table what he thought would happen to him when he died. The man tried to ignore the question, but, on being pressed, replied: "Oh well, I suppose I shall inherit eternal bliss, but I wish you wouldn't talk about such unpleasant subjects."

Bertrand Russell
Men, Wish, Tables

Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion go hand in hand.

Bertrand Russell
Atheist, Fear, Hands
Bertrand Russell (1993). “The Quotable Bertrand Russell”

This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them.

Bertrand Russell
Men, Views, Confusion

Human life, its growth, its hopes, fears, loves, et cetera, are the result of accidents

Bertrand Russell
Humanity, Growth, Fear Of Love

...impregnation will be regarded in an entirely different manner, more in the light of a surgical operation, so that it will be thought not ladylike to have it performed in the natural manner.

Bertrand Russell
Eugenics, Light, Different
Bertrand Russell (2017). “The Scientific Outlook”, p.120, Routledge

A marriage is likely to be called happy if neither party ever expected to get much happiness out of it.

Bertrand Russell
Marriage, Party, Expected
Bertrand Russell (2009). “Marriage and Morals”, p.84, Routledge

I do not pretend that birth control is the only way in which population can be kept from increasing. There are others, which, one must suppose, opponents of birth control would prefer.

Bertrand Russell
Population, Birth Control, Opponents
Bertrand Russell (2015). “The Impact of Science On Society”, p.85, Lulu Press, Inc

All traditional logic habitually assumes that precise symbols are being employed. It is therefore not applicable to this terrestial life but only to an imagined celestial existence... logic takes us nearer to heaven than other studies.

Bertrand Russell
Heaven, Logic, Study

The State is a collection of officials, different for difference purposes, drawing comfortable incomes so long as the status quo is preserved. The only alteration they are likely to desire in the status quo is an increase of bureaucracy and the power of bureaucrats.

Bertrand Russell
Drawing, Differences, Long
"Sceptical Essays". Book by Bertrand Russell. Chapter 12: "Free Thought and Official Propaganda", 1928.

Aristotle is the last Greek philosopher who faces the world cheerfully; after him, all have, in one form or another, a philosophy of retreat.

Bertrand Russell
Philosophy, Greek, World
Bertrand Russell (2013). “History of Western Philosophy: Collectors Edition”, p.195, Routledge

One eminently orthodox Catholic divine laid it down that a confessor may fondle a nun's breasts, provided he does it without evil intent.

Bertrand Russell
Evil, Catholic, May
Bertrand Russell (2009). “Unpopular Essays”, p.80, Routledge

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