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.
More Author Quotes
- 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 unde β¦ βΆ
- Affection cannot be created; it can only be liberated. β¨ Bertrand Russell (2014). On Education, p.136, Routledge
- If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years. β¨ Attributed to β¦ βΆ
- The most savage controversies are about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. β¨ Bertrand Russell (2009). The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell, p.67, Routledge
- All human activity is prompted by desire. β¨ Bertrand Russell (2013). Human Society in Ethics and Politics, p.160, Routledge
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