Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist
The ABC of Relativity (1925), p. 166
1920s
Variant: "Most people would rather die than think; many do."
A 58
Aphorisms (1765-1799), Notebook A (1765-1770)
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist
The ABC of Relativity (1925), p. 166
1920s
Variant: "Most people would rather die than think; many do."
François-Noël Babeuf (1760–1797) French political agitator and journalist of the French Revolutionary period
Il ne s'est jamais rien fait de grand dans le monde que par le courage et la fermeté d'un seul homme qui brave les préjugés de la multitude.
[in Gracchus Babeuf avec les Egaux, Jean-Marc Shiappa, Les éditions ouvrières, 1991, 43, 27082 2892-7]
On prejudices
Kancha Ilaiah (1952) Indian scholar, activist and writer
Quoted in "One Man Takes Aim At Prejudice With Storybook" at The Washington Post (20 January 2008) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/19/AR2008011902412.html.
Liza Tarbuck (1964) English actress and television and radio presenter
John Plunkett Tarbuck set for C4 return, MediaGuardian, Monday 11 November 2002 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/nov/11/broadcasting.channel41
Anatole France book The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard
Il se flattait d'être sans préjugés, et cette prétention était à elle seule un gros préjugé.
Pt. II, ch. 4
The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard (1881)
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist
Television interview ("On clarity and exact thinking" - available on youtube)
1960s
Alan Moore (1953) English writer primarily known for his work in comic books
Alan Moore on Anarchism (2009)
Context: I suppose I first got involved in radical politics as a matter of course, during the late 1960s when it was a part of the culture. The counterculture, as we called it then, was very eclectic and all-embracing. It included fashions of dress, styles of music, philosophical positions, and, inevitably, political positions. And although there would be various political leanings coming to the fore from time to time, I suppose that the overall consensus political standpoint was probably an anarchist one. Although probably back in those days, when I was a very young teenager, I didn’t necessarily put it into those terms. I was probably not familiar enough with the concepts of anarchy to actually label myself as such. It was later, as I went into my twenties and started to think about things more seriously that I came to a conclusion that basically the only political standpoint that I could possibly adhere to would be an anarchist one.
It furthermore occurred to me that, basically, anarchy is in fact the only political position that is actually possible. I believe that all other political states are in fact variations or outgrowths of a basic state of anarchy; after all, when you mention the idea of anarchy to most people they will tell you what a bad idea it is because the biggest gang would just take over. Which is pretty much how I see contemporary society. We live in a badly developed anarchist situation in which the biggest gang has taken over and have declared that it is not an anarchist situation – that it is a capitalist or a communist situation. But I tend to think that anarchy is the most natural form of politics for a human being to actually practice. All it means, the word, is no leaders. An-archon. No leaders.
And I think that if we actually look at nature without prejudice, we find that this is the state of affairs that usually pertains.
Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) Christian preacher, philosopher, and theologian
No. 1.
Seventy Resolutions (1722-1723)