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The fundamental concept in social science is power, in the same sense in which energy is the fundamental concept in physics.

Bertrand Russell

There are two motives for reading a book; one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Book Enjoyment Reading
And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that he would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt his existence.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Doubt Existence God Myself Religion Thinking
Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Death Deep People Philosophy Thinking
Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Knowledge Life Love Passion Search Simplicity Strong Suffering
One of the most powerful of all our passions is the desire to be admired and respected.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Desire Ourselves Passion Power Respect
We know very little, and yet it is astonishing that we know so much, and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Knowledge Philosophy
Language serves not only to express thought but to make possible thoughts that could not exist without it.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Existence Language Possible
Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don’t know.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Philosophy Science Yourself
I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Believe Feeling Myself Person Philosophy
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 paradise in a few years.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Desire Happiness People Philosophy World
Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Crime Deep Life Philosophy Reality
The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Goodness Inspirational Knowledge Life
I hate being all tidy like a book in a library where nobody reads – prison is horribly like that.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Book Hate Reading
It seems to me fundamental dishonesty, and a fundamental treachery to intellectual integrity to hold a belief because you think it’s useful and not because you think it’s true.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Believe Fundamental Honesty Integrity Myself Philosophy Thinking Yourself
Even if all the experts agree, they may well be mistaken.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Mistake Science
We love our habits more than our income, often more than our life.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Habit Life Love Ourselves
I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Enemy Quite Religion World
To write a tragedy, a man must feel the tragedy. To feel tragedy, a man must be aware of the world in which he lives. Not only with his mind, but with his blood and sinews.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Feeling Man Tragedy Writing
To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already 3 parts dead.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Death Fear Life Love Philosophy
Machines have altered our way of life, but not our instincts. Consequently, there is maladjustment.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Deep Life Ourselves Way
The use of self-control is like the use of brakes on the train. It is useful when you find yourself in the wrong direction but merely harmful when the direction is right.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Control Direction Harm Wrong Yourself
It’s easy to fall in love. The hard part is finding someone to catch you.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Easy Fall In Love Relationship
I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn’t wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Believe Doubt Myself People Philosophy Thinking
The search for something permanent is one of the deepest of the instincts leading men to philosophy.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Man Philosophy Search
In all affairs, it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Healthy Philosophy
The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Greatness Problem Science Thinking
Patriots always talk of dying for their country but never of killing for their country.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Death Kill Patriotism Talk

The fundamental concept in social science is power, in the same sense in which energy is the fundamental concept in physics.

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The fundamental concept in social science is power, in the same sense in which energy is the fundamental concept in physics.

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Popular Authors

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