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Conquer the world Quote by Bertrand Russell

“We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world - its good facts, its bad facts, its beauties, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and not be afraid of it. Conquer the world by intelligence and not merely by being slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from it…” quote by Bertrand Russell
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““We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world - its good facts, its bad facts, its beauties, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and not be afraid of it. Conquer the world by intelligence and not merely by being slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from it. The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men. When you hear people in church debasing themselves and saying that they are miserable sinners, and all the rest of it, it seems contemptible and not worthy of self-respecting human beings. We ought to stand up and look the world frankly in the face. We ought to make the best we can of the world, and if it is not so good as we wish, after all it will still be better than what these others have made of it in all these ages. A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by words uttered long ago by ignorant men. It needs a fearless outlook and free intelligence. It needs hope for the future, not looking back all the time toward a past that is dead, which we trust will be far surpassed by the future that our intelligence can create.””

Bertrand Russell

About This Quote

Source Essay: The Conquest of Fear, 1915

We should confront reality with rational intelligence, rejecting fear‑based doctrines and past‑oriented thinking, to build a hopeful, courageous future.

In simple terms: Face reality with reason, not fear or outdated beliefs.

Key Takeaway

Embrace rational courage and hopeful outlook.

Themes

reason courage future freedom knowledge

Mood

critical inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

  • personal decision
  • education
  • policy making
  • social reform

Key Concepts

Rationalism humanism secularism

Questions to Reflect On

  • What fears limit your perception?
  • How can rational inquiry improve society?
A Different Perspective

Overcoming entrenched beliefs can be difficult.

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