Religion is based ... mainly upon fear ... fear of the mysterious, fea…

Bertrand Russell
649 citations
Religion is based ... mainly upon fear ... fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand. 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.
Death Humanity
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Physics, owing to the simplicity of its subject matter, has reached a higher state of development than any other science. ✨ Bertrand Russell (2009). The Scientific Outlook, p.42, Routledge
It is not my prayer and humility that you cause things to go as you wish, but by acquiring a knowledge of natural laws. ✨ Bertrand Russell (1967). The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell
The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.
The scientific attitude of mind involves a sweeping away of all other desires in the interest of the desire to know. ✨ Bertrand Russell (2015). Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays: Top Philosophy Co … ▶
Philosophy arises from an unusually obstinate attempt to arrive at real knowledge. What passes for knowledge in ordinary life suffers from three defects: it is cocksure, vague and self-contradictory. … ▶

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