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Quote by Bertrand Russell

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A Fresh Look at Empiricism: 1927-42

A comprehensive examination of the evolution of empiricism from 1927 to 1942, the book delves into the key figures, theories, and debates that shaped this intellectual landscape. more

Author

Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, mathematician, and logician born on May 18, 1872, and died on February 2, 1970. He is known for his contributions to logic and mathematics, particularly in the fields of mathematical logic and philosophical analysis. His works spanned a wide range of subjects, including ethics, political philosophy, history, and literary criticism. more

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“I mean by intellectual integrity the habit of deciding vexed questions in accordance with the evidence, or of leaving them undecided where the evidence is inconclusive. This virtue, though it is underestimated by almost all adherents of any system of dogma, is to my mind of the very greatest social importance and far more likely to benefit the world than Christianity or any other system of organized beliefs.”

WorldMindMeanReligionBeliefSocialChristianityVirtueHabitIntegrityBenefitsIntellectualEvidenceImportanceLeavingOrganizedDogmaUnderestimatedUndecided
Book:The basic writings of Bertrand Russell, 1903-1959
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“My own view on religion is that of Lucretius. I regard it as a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human race. I cannot, however, deny that it has made some contributions to civilisation. It helped in early days to fix the calendar, and it caused Egyptian priests to chronicle eclipses with such care that in time they became able to predict them. These two services I am prepared to acknowledge, but I do not know of any others.”

KnowsHumansMadeTwoCareAbleReligionBornMy OwnViewsRaceSourceDiseaseRegardMiseryPreparedDenyAcknowledgeHuman RaceContributionPriestsCivilisationCalendarsEclipseEgyptianChronicles
Book:A Fresh Look at Empiricism: 1927-42
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“Modern American politicians have the same cowardice about denying an equally bloodthirsty even sillier god, Jehovah. None of us would seriously consider the possibility that all the gods of Homer really exist... I think that all of us would say in regard to those gods that we were atheists. In regard to the Christian God, I should, I think, take exactly the same line.”

ThinkingShouldChristianReligionLinesModernPossibilityPoliticianRegardAtheistCowardiceShould IJehovahChristian God
Author:Bertrand Russell
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“The objections to religion are of two sorts - intellectual and moral. The intellectual objection is that there is no reason to suppose any religion true; the moral objection is that religious precepts date from a time when men were more cruel than they are and therefore tend to perpetuate inhumanities which the moral conscience of the age would otherwise outgrow.”

MenTwoReasonAgeDeathReligionReligiousMoralIntellectualConscienceNo ReasonObjectionsInhumanityMoral Conscience
Book:Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects
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“There are two ways of avoiding fear: one is by persuading ourselves that we are immune from disaster, and the other is by the practice of sheer courage. The latter is difficult, and to everybody becomes impossible at a certain point. The former has therefore always been more popular. Primitive magic has the purpose of securing safety, either by injuring enemies, or by protecting oneself by talismans, spells, or incantations.”

WayTwoPurposeCertainReligionDifficultEnemyPracticeImpossibleMagicSafetyOneselfDisasterFormerLatterSpellsPrimitiveSheerAvoidingTwo WaysImmunePersuadingTalismans
Book:Bertrand Russell on God and Religion
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