Bertrand Russell: "Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but..."

About Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970), was an English mathematician and philosopher. A founder of analytic philosophy, he was a leading philosopher of the 20th century who produced pioneering work in logic, set theory, and philosophy of language. Russell popularised philosophy to...

More quotations from Bertrand Russell

Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true.

—Bertrand Russell

mathematics

To deny our own impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human.

—Bertrand Russell

mankind

If a man empties his purse into his head no one can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

—Bertrand Russell

knowledge

So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.

—Bertrand Russell

intelligence

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth—more than ruin—more even than death.… Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.

—Bertrand Russell

intelligence

More quotations tagged with “mathematics”

Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true.

—Bertrand Russell

mathematics

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.

—Albert Einstein

mathematics

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.

—Albert Einstein

mathematics

The law embodies the story of a nation's development through many centuries, and it cannot be dealt with as if it contained only the axioms and corollaries of a book of mathematics.

—Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

history development law mathematics

Nobody listens to mathematicians

—Carl Sagan in Cosmos

mathematics

History

11 Jul 2015 Added
26 Oct 2026 Wording changed

Previous wording

Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty - a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture.

Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty—a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture.

About Bertrand Russell

More quotations from Bertrand Russell

More quotations tagged with “mathematics”

History