Action Quote by Bertrand Russell
“There is no nonsense so errant that it cannot be made the creed of the vast majority by adequate governmental action.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "On the Dangers of Government Overreach", 1918
Argues that governments can coerce the majority into accepting absurdities, warning against blind conformity.
In simple terms: Power can force nonsense as normal.
Key Takeaway
Question authority and demand evidence.
Themes
politics
critical thinking
authority
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Voting
- media consumption
- public policy debates
Key Concepts
propaganda
mass conformity
government control
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms protect against governmental abuse?
- When is collective action justified?
A Different Perspective
Mass movements can also resist harmful ideas.
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
