The first man who said "fire burns" was employing scientific method, at any rate if he had allowed himself to be burnt several times. This man had already passed through the two stages of observation and generalization. He had not, however, what scientific technique demands - a careful choice of significant facts on the one hand, and, on the other hand, various means of arriving at laws otherwise than my mere generalization.
Bertrand RussellIt is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true
Bertrand RussellIt is obviously possible that what we call waking life may only be an unusual and persistent nightmare.
Bertrand RussellThe qualities most needed are charity and tolerance, not some form of fanatical faith such as is offered to us by the various rampant isms
Bertrand RussellI consider the official Catholic attitude on divorce, birth control, and censorship exceedingly dangerous to mankind.
Bertrand RussellExperience has taught me a technique for dealing with such people [...] I counter the devotees of the Great Pyramid by adoration of the Sphinx; and the devotee of nuts by pointing out that hazelnuts and walnuts are as deleterious as other foods and only Brazil nuts should be tolerated. But when I was younger I had not yet acquired this technique, with the result that my contacts with cranks were sometimes alarming.
Bertrand Russell