British - Philosopher | May 18, 1872 - February 2, 1970
With the introduction of agriculture mankind entered upon a long period of meanness, misery, and madness, from which they are only now being freed by the beneficent operation of the machine.
Bertrand Russell
MadnessLongAgricultureIntroduction
There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths.
LifeManFaceHelpComfortable
The demand for certainty is one which is natural to man, but is nevertheless an intellectual vice.
ManIntellectualCertaintyVice
Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and ignorant magistrate.
IgnorantWhateverElderlyHappens
Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate.
CapitalismExerciseTyrannyLiberty
Sin is geographical.
SinGeographical
Drunkenness is temporary suicide.
SuicideTemporaryDrunkenness
In the revolt against idealism, the ambiguities of the word experience have been perceived, with the result that realists have more and more avoided the word.
ExperienceResultMoreAgainstBeen
If any philosopher had been asked for a definition of infinity, he might have produced some unintelligible rigmarole, but he would certainly not have been able to give a definition that had any meaning at all.
MeaningInfinityGiveBeenAbleHe
Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, Thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought is great and swift and free.
GreatHabitFreeThoughtPrivilege
We are faced with the paradoxical fact that education has become one of the chief obstacles to intelligence and freedom of thought.
EducationFreedomIntelligenceBecome
To understand a name you must be acquainted with the particular of which it is a name.
NameYouUnderstandMustWhich
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