Hume, by his criticism of the concept of causality, awakened him from his dogmatic slumbers-so at least he says, but the awakening was only temporary, and he soon invented a soporific which enabled him to sleep again.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hume's critique of causality briefly awakened Russell, but he soon fell back into complacency, using a 'soporific' to sleep again.
- In plain terms
- Hume's ideas momentarily woke Russell, but he soon returned to comfortable ignorance.
- What can you take from it?
- Philosophical awakenings can be short‑lived without sustained effort.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What prevents lasting change after a philosophical insight?
- How can we sustain critical thinking?
Another view
The metaphor of a 'soporific' may oversimplify complex intellectual processes.
More from Bertrand Russell
The quarrel between Hume and Rousseau is symbolic: Rousseau was mad but influential, Hume was sane but had no followers.
Permalink to quote #152 Men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education.
Permalink to quote #154 Since the world is what it is, it is clear that valid reasoning from sound principles cannot lead to error; but a principle may be so nearly true as to deserve…
Permalink to quote #151
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