6 Bertrand Russell Quotes on Reason

Bertrand Russell quotes on reason

17. To save the world requires faith and courage: faith in reason, and courage to proclaim what reason shows to be true.

54. The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder's lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately.

75. In fact the opposition of instinct and reason is mainly illusory. Instinct, intuition, or insight is what first leads to the beliefs which subsequent reason confirms or confutes; but the confirmation, where it is possible, consists, in the last analysis, of agreement with other beliefs no less instinctive. Reason is a harmonising, controlling force rather than a creative one. Even in the most purely logical realms, it is insight that first arrives at what is new.

82. Reason is a harmonising, controlling force rather than a creative one.

167. As soon as we abandon our own reason, and are content to rely upon authority, there is no end to our troubles.

201. Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence; it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines.