Bertrand Russell Quotes — Page 22

Philosopher, Mathematician

Confident

“Fervent religious believers sacrifice pleasures of the body, but instead enjoy pleasures of the mind, including the joy of knowing that those men who didn't follow their religion would be tortured for eternity.”

Men Religious Sacrifice

♥ 12

Bertrand Russell

Philosopher, Mathematician

Courageous

“The Christian view that all intercourse outside marriage is immoral was, as we see in the above passages from St. Paul, based upon the view that all sexual intercourse, even within marriage, is regrettable. A view of this sort, which goes against biological facts, can only be regarded by sane people as a morbid aberration. The fact that it is embedded in Christian ethics has made Christianity throughout its whole history a force tending towards mental disorders and unwholesome views of life.”

Christian Views Fear

♥ 12

Philosophical

“The fact that a belief has a good moral effect upon a man is no evidence whatsoever in favor of its truth. I'm not contending in a dogmatic way that there is not a God. What I'm contending is that we don't know that there is. I don't like the word "absolute." I don't think there is anything absolute whatever. The moral law, for example, is always changing. At one period in the development of the human race, almost everybody thought cannibalism was a duty.”

Thinking Men Law

♥ 12

Philosophical

“Herd pressure is to be judged by two things: first, its intensity, and second, its direction.”

Two Firsts Pressure

♥ 12

Hopeful

“A world full of happiness is not beyond human power to create; the obstacles imposed by inanimate nature are not insuperable. The real obstacles lie in the heart of man, and the cure for these is a firm hope, informed and fortified by thought.”

Real Lying Happiness

♥ 12

Philosophical

“The demand for certainty is one which is natural to man, but is nevertheless an intellectual vice. So long as men are not trained to withhold judgment in the absence of evidence, they will be led astray by cocksure prophets, and it is likely that their leaders will be either ignorant fanatics or dishonest charlatans. To endure uncertainty is difficult, but so are most of the other virtues.”

Men Long Leader

♥ 12

Philosophical

“William James used to preach the "will-to-believe." For my part, I should wish to preach the "will-to-doubt." None of our beliefs are quite true; all at least have a penumbra of vagueness and error. What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite.”

Believe Opposites Errors

♥ 12

Wise

“I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment.”

Believe Punishment Everlasting

♥ 12

Philosophical

“The most savage controversies are about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way.”

Religion Math Anger

♥ 12

Courageous

“Many a man will have the courage to die gallantly, but will not have the courage to say, or even to think, that the cause for which he is asked to die is an unworthy one.”

Thinking Men Courage

♥ 12

Philosophical

“One of the chief obstacles to intelligence is credulity, and credulity could be enormously diminished by instructions as to the prevalent forms of mendacity. Credulity is a greater evil in the present day than it ever was before, because, owing to the growth of education, it is much easier than it used to be to spread misinformation, and, owing to democracy, the spread of misinformation is more important than in former times to the holders of power.”

Evil Truth Growth

♥ 12

Love

“The best practical advice I can give to the present generation is to practice the virtue which the Christians call love.”

Love Christian Kindness

♥ 12