“Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons”

—  Bertrand Russell

Last update Sept. 29, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons" by Bertrand Russell?
Bertrand Russell photo
Bertrand Russell 562
logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and politi… 1872–1970

Related quotes

Bertrand Russell photo

“Children must be under authority, and are themselves aware that they must be, although they like to play a game of rebellion at times. The case of children is unique in the fact that those who have authority over them are sometimes fond of them. Where this is the case, the children do not resent the authority in general, even when they resist it on particular occasions. Education authorities, as opposed to teachers, have not this merit, and do in fact sacrifice the children to what they consider the good of the State by teaching them "patriotism," i. e., a willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.”

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist

Source: 1920s, Sceptical Essays (1928), Ch. 13: Freedom in Society

Terry Pratchett photo

“[The pamphlet] was very patriotic. That is, it talked about killing foreigners.”

Terry Pratchett book Monstrous Regiment

Source: Monstrous Regiment

Bertrand Russell photo

“Patriots always talk of dying for their country, and never of killing for their country.”

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) logician, one of the first analytic philosophers and political activist

Has Man a Future? (1962), p. 78
1960s

Rudolf Höss photo

“There is a difference. If you kill to take money or rob, it is plain murder, but if you kill because of political reasons, that is a political murder.”

Rudolf Höss (1901–1947) German war criminal, commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp

To Leon Goldensohn, April 8, 1946, from "The Nuremberg Interviews" by Leon Goldensohn, Robert Gellately - History - 2004

Muhammad Ali photo

“Ain't no reason for me to kill nobody in the ring, unless they deserve it.”

Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) African American boxer, philanthropist and activist

Comment after the match with Jimmy Ellis was stopped by the referee in the twelfth round (July 1971)

Prevale photo

“The main reason that kills the most beautiful love stories is pride.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: Il motivo principale che uccide le più belle storie d'amore è l'orgoglio.
Source: prevale.net

Rudolph Rummel photo

“There is a good reason that all of this killing is unknown. The authoritarian and totalitarian thug regimes that do most of the killing usually control who writes their histories and what appears in them.”

Rudolph Rummel (1932–2014) American academic

Source: The Blue Book of Freedom: Ending Famine, Poverty, Democide, and War (2007), p. 76

Stephen King photo

“Man has come to dominate the planet thanks to two essential traits. One is intelligence. The other has been the absolute willingness to kill anyone and anything that gets in his way.”

Stephen King book Cell

Source: Cell

Laurell K. Hamilton photo

“He'd kill you all right. No sweat. But for the wrong reasons. Amateur's reasons. Of course, you'll be just as dead.”

Laurell K. Hamilton book The Laughing Corpse

Source: The Laughing Corpse

Brian Jacques photo

“There are enough cowards in the world without killing a brave creature for so little reason.”

Brian Jacques book Mossflower

Source: Mossflower

Related topics