Bertrand Russell Quotes About Progress

• It is only through imagination that men become aware of what the world might be; without it, ‘progress’ would become mechanical and trivial.

  Bertrand Russell

  Men, Imagination, Progress

  Bertrand Russell (2014). “On Education”, p.23, Routledge

• Change is scientific; progress is ethical; change is indubitable, whereas progress is a matter of controversy.

  Bertrand Russell

  Change, Science, History

  Bertrand Russell, Robert Edward Egner (1961). “The basic writings of Bertrand Russell, 1903-1959”

• 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

  Death, Christian, Atheist

  Bertrand Russell (1957). “Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects”, p.21, Simon and Schuster

• You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step toward the diminution of war, every step toward better treatment of the colored races, or every mitigation of slavery, every moral progress that there has been in the world, has been consistently opposed by the organized churches of the world. I say quite deliberately that the christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principle enemy of moral progress in the world.

  Bertrand Russell

  Christian, War, Race

  Bertrand Russell, Robert Edward Egner (1961). “The basic writings of Bertrand Russell, 1903-1959”

• A process which led from the amoeba to man appeared to the philosophers to be obviously a progress though whether the amoeba would agree with this opinion is not known.

  Bertrand Russell

  Science, Men, Progress

  Bertrand Russell (1985). “Contemplation and Action, 1902-14”, p.171, Psychology Press

• All the important human advances that we know of since historical times began have been due to individuals of whom the majority faced virulent public opposition.

  Bertrand Russell

  Historical, Progress, Important

• I remain convinced that obstinate addiction to ordinary language in our private thoughts is one of the main obstacles to progress in philosophy.

  Bertrand Russell

  Philosophy, Addiction, Progress

  Bertrand Russell, John G. Slater, Peter Köllner (1997). “Last Philosophical Testament: 1943-68”, p.28, Psychology Press

• An extra-terrestrial philosopher, who had watched a single youth up to the age of twenty-one and had never come across any other human being, might conclude that it is the nature of human beings to grow continually taller and wiser in an indefinite progress towards perfection; and this generalization would be just as well founded as the generalization which evolutionists base upon the previous history of this planet.

  Bertrand Russell

  Science, History, Perfection

  Bertrand Russell (2015). “Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays: Top Philosophy Collections”, p.66, 谷月社

• The desire to understand the world and the desire to reform it are the two great engines of progress, without which human society would stand still or retrogress.

  Bertrand Russell

  Two, Justice, Progress

  "Marriage and Morals". Book by Bertrand Russell, Ch. 20, p. 301, en.wikiquote.org. Marriage and Morals.

• Collective wisdom, alas, is no adequate substitute for the intelligence of individuals. Individuals who opposed received opinions have been the source of all progress, both moral and intellectual. They have been unpopular, as was natural.

  Bertrand Russell

  Intellectual, Progress, Adequate

  Bertrand Russell (1957). “Why I am not a Christian, and other essays on religion and related subjects”, Touchstone

• There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge and wisdom. Shall we instead choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? I appeal as a human being to human beings; remember your humanity, and forget the rest.

  Bertrand Russell

  Peace, Lying, Humanity

  Bertrand Russell (2009). “The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell”, p.716, Routledge

• Change is one thing, progress is another.

  Bertrand Russell

  Progress, One Thing

  Bertrand Russell, John G. Slater, Peter Köllner (1997). “Last Philosophical Testament: 1943-68”, p.396, Psychology Press

• I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.

  Bertrand Russell

  Small Numbers, Progress, Age

  Bertrand Russell (2004). “In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays”, p.112, Psychology Press

• The free intellect is the chief engine of human progress.

  Bertrand Russell

  Progress, Chiefs, Intellect

  Bertrand Russell, Richard A. Rempel, Beryl Haslam (2000). “Uncertain Paths to Freedom: Russia and China, 1919-22”, p.197, Psychology Press

• [The church] is in its major part an opponent still of progress and improvement in all the ways that diminish suffering in the world, because it has chosen to label as morality a certain narrow set of rules of conduct which have nothing to do with human happiness; and when you say that this or that ought to be done because it would make for human happiness, they think that has nothing to do with the matter at all. "What has human happiness to do with morals? The object of morals is not to make people happy.

  Bertrand Russell

  Thinking, People, Suffering

  Bertrand Russell (2016). “Why I Am Not a Christian”, p.18, Lulu Press, Inc

• One who believes, as I do, that the free intellect is the chief engine of human progress, cannot but be fundamentally opposed to Bolshevism, as much as to the Church of Rome.

  Bertrand Russell

  Believe, Rome, Progress

  Bertrand Russell, Richard A. Rempel, Beryl Haslam (2000). “Uncertain Paths to Freedom: Russia and China, 1919-22”, p.197, Psychology Press

• Moral progress has consisted in the main of protest against cruel customs, and of attempts to enlarge human sympathy.

  Bertrand Russell

  Progress, Moral, Protest

  Bertrand Russell (2009). “Authority and the Individual”, p.30, Routledge

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