RUSSELL-B2

...schools are out to teach patriotism; newspapers are out to stir up excitement; and politicians are out to get reelected. None of the three, therefore, can do anything whatever toward saving the human race from reciprocal suicide.

Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don't know.

Should the working man think freely about property? Then what will become of us the rich? Should soldiers think freely about war? Then what will become of military discipline? Away with thought! Back into the shades of prejudice, lest property, morals, and war should be endangered.

The degree of one's emotion varies inversely with one's knowledge of the facts--the less you know the hotter you get.

The finding of arguments for a conclusion given in advance is not philosophy, but special pleading.

The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.

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.

The point of philosophy is to start with something so simple as to seem not worth stating, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it.

The secret of happiness is this: Let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knoweldge.

To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.

War does not determine who is right--only who is left.

Where it [opinion] does not exist, the status quo becomes stereotyped, and all originality, even the most necessary, is discouraged.