Bertrand Russell Quotes

Now I will believe that there are unicorns.

You gave too much rein to your imagination. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.

The scientific imagination always restrains itself within the limits of probability.

Many scientists think that philosophy has no place, so for me it's a sad time because the role of reflection, contemplation, meditation, self inquiry, insight, intuition, imagination, creativity, free will, is in a way not given any importance, which is the domain of philosophers.

When it is not in our power to follow what is true, we ought to follow what is most probable.

The word 'belief' is a difficult thing for me. I don't believe. I must have a reason for a certain hypothesis. Either I know a thing, and then I know it - I don't need to believe it.

Simply because you do not have evidence that something exists does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist.

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.

We can only reason from what is; we can reason on actualities, but not on possibilities.

The philosopher proves that the philosopher exists. The poet merely enjoys existence.

The best way to win an argument is to begin by being right.

The subject of my work has a lot to do with general, artistic matters, questions like: What is creativity? Where do we come from? What are our motors? What is coincidence? What is logic?

It is through science that we prove, but through intuition that we discover.

I can well conceive a man without hands, feet, head. But I cannot conceive man without thought; he would be a stone or a brute.

Logic is the technique by which we add conviction to truth.

By denying scientific principles, one may maintain any paradox.

A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.

Knowledge consists in understanding the evidence that establishes the fact, not in the belief that it is a fact.

Faith is a cop-out. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can’t be taken on its own merits.

In my opinion, it helps enormously to know why something is true, rather than being told it is true, for why should you believe me? Never believe anything on the authority of a single person but seek confirmation — and reason is the best confirmation

Facts are more mundane than fantasies, but a better basis for conclusions.

Facts are placed before reasonings and before ideals, even though the reasonings and the ideals be more beautiful, be seemingly more lofty, be seemingly better, be seemingly truer. The seemingly absurd and the seemingly impossible are sometimes true. The scientific disposition is to accept facts upon evidence, however absurd they may appear to our pre-conceptions.

I try and stay in my right brain as much as I can, but my left takes over.

Logic is pointless.

Have you seen a unicorn in the woods?" "I imagine that's next," Jared muttered. "Right," said Holly. "Well. If the unicorn is pink, about two feet tall, with a sparkly mane, we'll know my imaginary friend is real too.