Bertrand Russell Quotes on Mind
Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, and political activist whose work is foundational to 20th-century analytic philosophy. This page collects quotes attributed to Bertrand Russell on the topic of mind, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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“A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.”
A History of Western Philosophy, 1945 -
“Most people would rather die than think; in fact, they do so.”
Aphorism (commonly attributed) -
“If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinise it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it.”
Ch. VI: International relations, p. 97 -
“I do wish I believed in the life eternal, for it makes me quite miserable to think man is merely a kind of machine endowed, unhappily for himself, with consciousness.”
Greek Exercises (1888); at the age of fifteen, Russell used to write down his reflections in this book, for fear that his people should find out what he was thinking. -
“Greek Exercises (1888); at the age of fifteen, Russell used to write down his reflections in this book, for fear that his people should find out what he was thinking.”
I do wish I believed in the life eternal, for it makes me quite miserable to think man is merely a kind of machine endowed, unhappily for himself, with consciousness.