Bertrand Russell Quotes

Logic: an instrument used for bolstering a prejudice.

Persons not habituated to reason often argue absurdly, because, from particular instances, they deduce general conclusions, and extend the result of their limited experience of individuals indiscriminately to whole classes.

While analogies are useful, however, they can also be misleading. They smuggle in assumptions that can be wrong.

We must take care not to admit as true anything, which is only probable. For when one falsity has been let in, infinite others follow.

Logic might be unanswerable because it was so absolutely wrong.

I know too well that these arguments from probabilities are imposters, and unless great caution is observed in the use of them, they are apt to be deceptive.

Reason is so unreasonable, that few people can say they are in possession of it.

Mistakes are made on two counts: an argument is either based on error or incorrectly developed.

It is impossible to get anywhere without sinning against reason.

That's the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you're never wrong.

Man has a tendency to try to give clear reasons to be rational, but often you can see how all those reasons are not convincing and turn out to be a big nonsense.

Logic, n. The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding. The basic of logic is the syllogism, consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion - thus: Major Premise: Sixty men can do a piece of work sixty times as quickly as one man. Minor Premise: One man can dig a post-hole in sixty seconds; Therefore- Conclusion: Sixty men can dig a post-hole in one second. This may be called syllogism arithmetical, in which, by combining logic and mathematics, we obtain a double certainty and are twice blessed.

Logic invents as many fallacies as it detects; it is a good weapon, but as liable to be used in a bad as in a good cause.

Analytical philosophy was very interesting. It always struck me as being very interesting and full of tremendous intellectual curiosities. It is wonderful to see the mind at work in such an intense manner, but, for me, it was still too far removed from my own issues.

The daftest logic brings such sweet unrest.

The important thing to remember about mathematics is not to be frightened

Wrong takes an awful long time to be proven, in my experience.

I learned how to order my thoughts, and most important, learned how to develop a plan. I discovered the power of a plan. If you can plan it out, and it seems logical to you, you can do it. And that was the secret to success.

I'll give you the same advice I give my children: Never take advice from anybody.

Common sense is science exactly in so far as it fulfills the ideal of common sense; that is, sees facts as they are, or at any rate, without the distortion of prejudice, and reasons from them in accordance with the dictates of sound judgment. And science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.

Logic is a very beautiful thing. As long as it is not abused.

What can give us more sure knowledge than our senses? How else can we distinguish between the true and the false?

False conclusions which have been reasoned out are infinitely worse than blind impulse.

It is always easy to be logical. It is almost impossible to be logical to the bitter end.