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...
cause furious ills nature provide savage sought thousand thus turned
Furious at his own misery, he sought the cause in the misdeeds of other men, and turned upon them in savage battle, thus magnifying a thousand times the ills that Nature has provide
either evidence good matters savage
The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic.
adultery chase commit courtship easily gratified hunting husband manage savage stage suppose war woman
specially in males. I suppose that in the hunting stage it was more easily gratified than it has been since. The chase was exciting, war was exciting, courtship was exciting. A savage would manage to commit adultery with a woman while her husband is
discovered foreigners man members regards savage studied view
The completely untravelled person will view all foreigners as the savage regards the members of another herd. But the man who has travelled, or who has studied international politics, will have discovered that, if he had to prosper, it must, to some
divine greater human radiance splendor
The splendor of human life, I feel sure, is greater to those who are not dazzled by the divine radiance
brings cessation happiness merely momentary temporary
Drunkenness is temporary suicide: the happiness that it brings is merely negative, a momentary cessation of unhappiness
allies below efforts fit heart hearts imaginary instead invent longer rather science teach
Science can teach us, and I think our own hearts can teach us, no longer to look around for imaginary supports, no longer to invent allies in the sky, but rather to look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in, instead
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
age certainty chief paralyzed perhaps philosophy study teach
To teach how to live without certainty, and yet without, being paralyzed by hesitation, is perhaps the chief thing that philosophy in our age can do for those who study it
beauty cold possesses rightly sculpture supreme
Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty - a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture
knows mathematics nor science talking true whether
Mathematics is the only science where one never knows what one is talking about nor whether what is said is true
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.
mankind sweeter universe
Mankind . . . are a mistake. The universe would be sweeter and fresher without them
condemned darkness gate himself lose pass today tomorrow
Man, condemned today to lose his dearest, tomorrow himself to pass through the gate of darkness