Stupidity is sometimes the greatest of historical forces.

Russell's prose has been compared by T.S. Eliot to that of David Hume's. I would rank it higher, for it had more color, juice, and humor. But to be lucid, exciting and profound in the main body of one's work is a combination of virtues given to few philosophers. Bertrand Russell has achieved immortality by his philosophical writings.

The mob that hails the man on horseback, the Caesars and conquering heroes, does not retain its freedoms for long.

Religious freedom in an open society has the best prospects of flourishing to the extent that it expresses itself as freedom of religious inquiry.

Noam Chomsky skittles and skithers all over the political landscape to distract the reader’s attention from the plain truth.

Idealism, alas, does not protect one from ignorance, dogmatism, and foolishness.

Philosophy, most broadly viewed, is the critical survey of existence from the standpoint of value.