Quotation by Bertrand Russell

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A Free Man's Worship and Other Essays (1976)An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth (1940)"An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish" Unpopular Essays (1950)An Outline of Philosophy Allen & Unwin (1951)"Aristotle's Metaphysics" History of Western Philosophy, Simon & Schuster (1945)

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And all this madness, all this rage, all this flaming death of our civilization and our hopes, has been brought about because a set of official gentlemen, living luxurious lives, mostly stupid, and all without imagination or heart, have chosen that it should occur rather than that any one of them should suffer some infinitesimal rebuff to his country's pride.

Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970), British philosopher, mathematician. repr. In The Autobiography of Bertrand Russell, vol. 2, ch. 1 (1968). letter to Nation (London, Aug. 16, 1914).

The letter was written Aug. 12, 1914, eight days after the outbreak of war.

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