Author: Eric Helland

love is wise—hatred is foolish

BBC:
One last question. Suppose, Lord Russell, this film were to be looked at by our descendants … in a thousand years time. What would you think it’s worth telling that generation about the life you’ve lived and the lessons you’ve learned from it?

Bertrand Russell:
I should like to say two things, one intellectual, and one moral.

The intellectual thing I should want to say to them is this—when you are studying any matter, or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only: what are the facts and what is the truth that the facts bear out. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe or by what you think would have beneficent social effects if it were believed. Look only and solely at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing that I should wish to say.

The moral thing that I would wish to say to them is very simple. I should say: love is wise; hatred is foolish. In this world, which is getting more and more closely interconnected, we have to learn to tolerate each other; we have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we don’t like. We can only live together in that way; but, if we are to live together and not die together, we must learn a kind of charity and a kind of tolerance which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet.