Three Quotations From Bertrand Russell
"I wish to propose for the reader's favourable consideration a doctrine which may, I fear, appear wildly paradoxical and subversive. The doctrine in question is this: that it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true."
(From "Introduction: On the Value of Scepticism", Sceptical Essays [London: Allen & Unwin, 1928])
and
"Supposing you got a crate of oranges that you opened, and you found all the top layer of oranges bad, you would not argue, `The underneath ones must be good, so as to redress the balance.' You would say, `Probably the whole lot is a bad consignment'; and that is really what a scientific person would say about the universe."
(From Why I Am Not a Christian [London: Watts, 1927])
finally
"The secret of happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible, horrible, horrible...."
Comments
Norm,
I read Bertrand Russell's "Why I am Not a Christian" many years ago and thought it was wonderful. He does, of course, have his detractors as anyone could imagine, but he really brought up some very valid and logical assertions that made me think. Just make me think. That's all I ask for. :)