Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
Monday, January 02, 2012
A little wisdom from Nobel Prize winner Bertrand Russell.
I'd never seen a photo of this guy...any older coots on this blog may remember back to the Rod Serling like precursor, from a show called "One Step Beyond" -- John Newland looked like that, and would give his little schtick at the beginning and end of the teleplay, to eerie music.
That same music could easily accompany this statement by Russell.
Wow... the entire point I was trying to make the other day with my whole giant clumsy screed against the "domestic terrorists just need a certain mindset" person, eloquently summed up in a single concise sentence.
Guess that's why Bertrand earned a Nobel and I'm just a schmuck!
Oh how true that quote is! All the fools and fanatics are in the GOP party right now and all the wise people are full of doubt of where this is all going.
There is a name for that: it's The Dunning=Kruger Effect http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolved-primate/201006/when-ignorance-begets-confidence-the-classic-dunning-kruger-effect
from Lord Russell's Nobel Lecture: If men were actuated by self-interest, which they are not - except in the case of a few saints - the whole human race would cooperate. There would be no more wars, no more armies, no more navies, no more atom bombs. There would not be armies of propagandists employed in poisoning the minds of Nation A against Nation B, and reciprocally of Nation B against Nation A. There would not be armies of officials at frontiers to prevent the entry of foreign books and foreign ideas, however excellent in themselves. There would not be customs barriers to ensure the existence of many small enterprises where one big enterprise would be more economic. All this would happen very quickly if men desired their own happiness as ardently as they desired the misery of their neighbours. But, you will tell me, what is the use of these utopian dreams ? Moralists will see to it that we do not become wholly selfish, and until we do the millenium will be impossible.
Bertrand Russell also understood the Republicans' political philosophy -
"Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate." --Bertrand Russell
And shared my opinion of churches -
"I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its Churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. --Bertrand Russell (emphasis mine)
Exactly! Now if we can only convince the far right evangelicals to keep their morals to themselves, and let the rest of us decide for ourselves, there would be a lot less hate in our country. If everyone would just keep out everyone's else's business. Someone also has to teach the evangelicals that interpretation our Constitution isn't up to them, but to the courts. The one person I believe who is recently responsible for making the evangelical's believe they are morally correct, is the ignorant women up north. It's amazing, at Sea4Pee they write that she is very intelligent. If they think she is intelligent, I would love to see the average IQ of her followers.
Gryphen, to bring him into the conversation at the beginning of another Turn around the Sun is quite appropriate, and I thank you for jump-starting our discussions.
great man Bertie I sat down with him demonstrating against nuclear weapons in 1961 he was arrested and put in prison in his 80s oh and not a bad philosopher too!
The crazies steal attention, and the truly knowledgeable are ignored. The former explains why Bush got elected and the latter explains how Obama got elected. Both were and are undeserving.
It's the few crazies that made the amazing concept of the tea party flounder and it's the crazies that are making OWS the tea partys equal.
The "peace sign" was originally the symbol of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in Britain. I first saw it on signs carried by folks in the Aldermaston march in 1958. It was designed by Gerald Holtom and not by Bertrand Russell, who was, however,the president of the CND at the time.
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/qt-p-nd.html
While everyone can make mistakes, I do find that many of the sources for the Russell designed the peace symbol message are right-wing sites that smear Russell and attack him in various ways. I'm not linking to any of them. They're easy enough to find.
I don't tweet, and I quit Facebook when Palin started using it for a campaign platform. (Yes, I know Facebook is great. Just not doing it.)
Because I can't, maybe those of you who can could take this quote and the name Bertrand Russell and tweet it everywhere, send it to all your Facebook friends.
You know what they say about how to eat an elephant one bite at a time. Every tweet would be a bite. Poor old elephant, probably needs to be put out of his misery anyway.
His book: "Why I am Not a Christian" was enough to endear him to me. Not only cogent and rational, but had the "testicular fortitude" to explain and publish his reasons, too.
Someone I know there has seen this in all it’s glory in a roommate, who thinks they are god’s gift but has been a jerk in so many ways it's astounding.
And then has recently become friends with a fellow who is kind and considerate, but has been called a loser all his life.
This is a tough one. It means I have to doubt my intelligence and moderation for if I have no doubt that I am neither a fool nor a fanatic then, by Russell's reasoning, I might be one or the other. Yikes! I might be both.
All in all, I kind of prefer: "The essence of the liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment. This is the way opinions are held in science, as opposed to the way in which they are held in theology." Unpopular Essays,"Philosophy and Politics" (1950), p. 149.
I might add I grew up watching Russell on the Brains Trust on BBC with other great minds like Isaiah Berlin, Violet Bonham-Carter and the one I had a preadolescent crush on - Jacob Bronowski. At that age I hadn't a clue what they were talking about but I was fascinated nonetheless.
There is no way I could ever have worked my way through Russell's massive number of written works and, at heart, I've never been a logical positivist. However, the poem at the beginning of his autobiography has always made me feel in sympathy with the spirit of the man. The bit I remember -
Through the long years/I sought peace,/I found ecstasy,I found anguish,/I found madness,/I found loneliness./ I found the solitary pain that gnaws the heart,/But peace I did not find.
Ailsa said... This is a tough one. It means I have to doubt my intelligence and moderation for if I have no doubt that I am neither a fool nor a fanatic then, by Russell's reasoning, I might be one or the other. Yikes! I might be both. 7:13 PM ------------------------ Ailsa, this part of your post made me giggle. I remember my dear late mother-in-law reciting a ditty popular in her college years back in the 30's: "See the happy moron; doesn't give a damn. I wish I were a moron; my God, perhaps I am!
If you can't ever recall being either fool or fanatic, you probably still are.
Wisdom (using terms sure to rankle Lord Russell were he still alive, but a sense with which he would agree) is a Prodigal endeavor- one must first be a fool before another path become obvious.
Spot-on!
ReplyDeleteRussell is a fascinating read.
I'd never seen a photo of this guy...any older coots on this blog may remember back to the Rod Serling like precursor, from a show called "One Step Beyond" -- John Newland looked like that, and would give his little schtick at the beginning and end of the teleplay, to eerie music.
ReplyDeleteThat same music could easily accompany this statement by Russell.
Wow... the entire point I was trying to make the other day with my whole giant clumsy screed against the "domestic terrorists just need a certain mindset" person, eloquently summed up in a single concise sentence.
ReplyDeleteGuess that's why Bertrand earned a Nobel and I'm just a schmuck!
That's because the fools and fanatics think it's turtles all the way down.
ReplyDeleteNo truer words have been spoken when dealing with world leaders.
ReplyDeleteOh how true that quote is! All the fools and fanatics are in the GOP party right now and all the wise people are full of doubt of where this is all going.
ReplyDeleteThere is a name for that: it's The Dunning=Kruger Effect
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolved-primate/201006/when-ignorance-begets-confidence-the-classic-dunning-kruger-effect
from Lord Russell's Nobel Lecture: If men were actuated by self-interest, which they are not - except in the case of a few saints - the whole human race would cooperate. There would be no more wars, no more armies, no more navies, no more atom bombs. There would not be armies of propagandists employed in poisoning the minds of Nation A against Nation B, and reciprocally of Nation B against Nation A. There would not be armies of officials at frontiers to prevent the entry of foreign books and foreign ideas, however excellent in themselves. There would not be customs barriers to ensure the existence of many small enterprises where one big enterprise would be more economic. All this would happen very quickly if men desired their own happiness as ardently as they desired the misery of their neighbours. But, you will tell me, what is the use of these utopian dreams ? Moralists will see to it that we do not become wholly selfish, and until we do the millenium will be impossible.
ReplyDeleteMichael Shermer's The Believing Brain delves into this phenomenon, with neurobiology sauce. Scary.
ReplyDeleteAnother fascinating read is Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow [he's also a Nobel Prize winner].
Short attention span takeaway:
Thinking is hard. We hates it.
From Bertrand Russell, we got the peace symbol. Theories abound.
ReplyDelete*Does the symbol come from the semaphore flag system; the N and D for Nuclear Disarmament?
*Or is it a corruption of the cross, the NeroCross a.k.a Sign of the Broken Christian?
Russell was a scientist and philosopher. All these ideas are worth further study.
Bertrand Russell also understood the Republicans' political philosophy -
ReplyDelete"Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate." --Bertrand Russell
And shared my opinion of churches -
"I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its Churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. --Bertrand Russell
(emphasis mine)
Exactly! Now if we can only convince the far right evangelicals to keep their morals to themselves, and let the rest of us decide for ourselves, there would be a lot less hate in our country. If everyone would just keep out everyone's else's business. Someone also has to teach the evangelicals that interpretation our Constitution isn't up to them, but to the courts. The one person I believe who is recently responsible for making the evangelical's believe they are morally correct, is the ignorant women up north. It's amazing, at Sea4Pee they write that she is very intelligent. If they think she is intelligent, I would love to see the average IQ of her followers.
ReplyDeleteGryphen, to bring him into the conversation at the beginning of another Turn around the Sun is quite appropriate, and I thank you for jump-starting our discussions.
ReplyDelete"Turtles all the way down" is one of my favorite punchlines!
ReplyDeletegreat man Bertie I sat down with him demonstrating against nuclear weapons in 1961 he was arrested and put in prison in his 80s oh and not a bad philosopher too!
ReplyDeleteThe crazies steal attention, and the truly knowledgeable are ignored. The former explains why Bush got elected and the latter explains how Obama got elected. Both were and are undeserving.
ReplyDeleteIt's the few crazies that made the amazing concept of the tea party flounder and it's the crazies that are making OWS the tea partys equal.
Beautiful! Thanks, Gryphen.
ReplyDeleteThe "peace sign" was originally the symbol of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in Britain. I first saw it on signs carried by folks in the Aldermaston march in 1958. It was designed by Gerald Holtom and not by Bertrand Russell, who was, however,the president of the CND at the time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/qt-p-nd.html
While everyone can make mistakes, I do find that many of the sources for the Russell designed the peace symbol message are right-wing sites that smear Russell and attack him in various ways. I'm not linking to any of them. They're easy enough to find.
The message Anon @12:57 PM is sending is "odd." What a mishmash. I'm trying my best Gryphen. Before, I would have been less gentle.
ReplyDeleteSpot on - as always Gryphen.
ReplyDeleteI don't tweet, and I quit Facebook when Palin started using it for a campaign platform. (Yes, I know Facebook is great. Just not doing it.)
Because I can't, maybe those of you who can could take this quote and the name Bertrand Russell and tweet it everywhere, send it to all your Facebook friends.
You know what they say about how to eat an elephant one bite at a time. Every tweet would be a bite. Poor old elephant, probably needs to be put out of his misery anyway.
Thanks!
His book: "Why I am Not a Christian" was enough to endear him to me. Not only cogent and rational, but had the "testicular fortitude" to explain and publish his reasons, too.
ReplyDeleteTo 2:25 pm (Canadian Country Girl):
ReplyDeleteIt just went to MIT...
Someone I know there has seen this in all it’s glory in a roommate, who thinks they are god’s gift but has been a jerk in so many ways it's astounding.
And then has recently become friends with a fellow who is kind and considerate, but has been called a loser all his life.
Gryphen et al: Thank-you for reminding me that there are real people in this world that THINK, learn and care about the world. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough one. It means I have to doubt my intelligence and moderation for if I have no doubt that I am neither a fool nor a fanatic then, by Russell's reasoning, I might be one or the other. Yikes! I might be both.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I kind of prefer: "The essence of the liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment. This is the way opinions are held in science, as opposed to the way in which they are held in theology." Unpopular Essays,"Philosophy and Politics" (1950), p. 149.
I might add I grew up watching Russell on the Brains Trust on BBC with other great minds like Isaiah Berlin, Violet Bonham-Carter and the one I had a preadolescent crush on - Jacob Bronowski. At that age I hadn't a clue what they were talking about but I was fascinated nonetheless.
There is no way I could ever have worked my way through Russell's massive number of written works and, at heart, I've never been a logical positivist. However, the poem at the beginning of his autobiography has always made me feel in sympathy with the spirit of the man. The bit I remember -
Through the long years/I sought peace,/I found ecstasy,I found anguish,/I found madness,/I found loneliness./ I found the solitary pain that gnaws the heart,/But peace I did not find.
He was an amazing human being.
Ailsa said...
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough one. It means I have to doubt my intelligence and moderation for if I have no doubt that I am neither a fool nor a fanatic then, by Russell's reasoning, I might be one or the other. Yikes! I might be both.
7:13 PM
------------------------
Ailsa, this part of your post made me giggle. I remember my dear late mother-in-law reciting a ditty popular in her college years back in the 30's: "See the happy moron; doesn't give a damn. I wish I were a moron; my God, perhaps I am!
If you can't ever recall being either fool or fanatic, you probably still are.
ReplyDeleteWisdom (using terms sure to rankle Lord Russell were he still alive, but a sense with which he would agree) is a Prodigal endeavor- one must first be a fool before another path become obvious.
The Russell quote is a variant of the more familiar (at least to me):
ReplyDelete"The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt."
It explains the GOP: they are all cocks.