--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human beings cannot, of course, wholly…" description: "\"“Human beings cannot, of course, wholly transcend human nature; something subjective, if only the interest that determines the direction of our attenti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/bertrand-russell-69_human-nature_human-beings-cannot-of-course-wholly-tra_2316320.jpg" --- # Human beings cannot, of course, wholly transcend human… ![“Human beings cannot, of course, wholly transcend human nature; something subjective, if only the interest that determines the direction of our attention, must remain in all our thought. But scientific philosophy comes nearer to objectivity than any other human pursuit, and gives us, therefore, the…” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/bertrand-russell-69_human-nature_human-beings-cannot-of-course-wholly-tra_2316320.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/bertrand-russell-69_human-nature_human-beings-cannot-of-course-wholly-tra_2316320.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c12/bertrand-russell-69_human-nature_human-beings-cannot-of-course-wholly-tra_2316320.jpg) > ““Human beings cannot, of course, wholly transcend human nature; something subjective, if only the interest that determines the direction of our attention, must remain in all our thought. But scientific philosophy comes nearer to objectivity than any other human pursuit, and gives us, therefore, the closest constant and the most intimate relation with the outer world that it is possible to achieve.”” [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature limits objectivity, but scientific philosophy offers the closest approach to true objectivity and connection with reality. **In simple terms:** Science gets us closest to true objectivity despite human limits. Key Takeaway Pursue scientific inquiry for clearer understanding. Themes philosophy science objectivity human nature knowledge Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic research - policy making - education - personal belief evaluation Key Concepts epistemology metaphysics human limitation Questions to Reflect On - How can we mitigate human bias in scientific work? - What limits does human nature impose on objectivity? A Different Perspective Science cannot fully escape human bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Nature Subjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-subjective-2570939/) [Nearer Objectivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nearer-objectivity-5519961/) [Objectivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectivity/) [Objectivity Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectivity-human-5519960/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) ## Related quotes > [Movies, by nature, are not subjective, they're objective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/movies-by-nature-are-not-subjective-they-re-objective/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“The more man alienates himself from Nature, the more subjective, i.e., supranatural or antinatural, is his view of things, the greater the horror he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-feuerbach/the-more-man-alienates-himself-from-nature-the-more-subjective-i-e/) [Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-feuerbach/) > [“Intellectually, what is stimulating to a young man is a problem of obvious practical importance. A young man learning economics, for example, ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/intellectually-what-is-stimulating-to-a-young-man-is-a-problem-of/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I hate the world and almost all the people in it. I hate the Labour Congress and the journalists who send men to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-hate-the-world-and-almost-all-the-people-in-it-i-hate-the-labour/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All the important human advances that we know of since historical times began have been due to individuals of whom the majority faced virulent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-the-important-human-advances-that-we-know-of-since-historical/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [WE ARE HUMANS. WE ARE NOT PERFECT. WE ARE ALIVE. WE TRY THINGS. WE MAKE MISTAKES. WE STUMBLE. WE FALL. WE GET HURT. WE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-humans-we-are-not-perfect-we-are-alive-we-try-things-we-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you are HUMAN, then the limit of what you can do, what you learn, what you can experience HAS NOT YET BEEN REACHED.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-hartmann/if-you-are-human-then-the-limit-of-what-you-can-do-what-you-learn/) [Silvia Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-hartmann/) > [“Sometimes, humanity surprises me with all its lack of control over the primordial urges. These innate urges are the biological traits that make us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/sometimes-humanity-surprises-me-with-all-its-lack-of-control-over-the/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [What astonishes many of us is not so much that human nature is fundamentally corrupt; we are astonished rather that it does not behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-irving-seiden/what-astonishes-many-of-us-is-not-so-much-that-human-nature-is/) [Morton Irving Seiden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-irving-seiden/) > [One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/one-of-the-most-tragic-things-i-know-about-human-nature-is-that-all/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [There surely is in human nature an inherent propensity to extract all the good out of all the evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/there-surely-is-in-human-nature-an-inherent-propensity-to-extract-all/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) ## More by Bertrand Russell > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [All movements go too far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/all-movements-go-too-far/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“Such, in outline, but even more purposeless, more void of meaning, is the world which Science presents for our belief. Amid such a world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/such-in-outline-but-even-more-purposeless-more-void-of-meaning-is-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. 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This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/many-orthodox-people-speak-as-though-it-were-the-business-of-sceptics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no greater reason for children to honour parents than for parents to honour children except, that while the children are young, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-greater-reason-for-children-to-honour-parents-than-for/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) [Explore all 1,620 Bertrand Russell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More Human nature quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“I wasn't sure which I appreciated less—the insincere concern or the genuine indifference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-graham/i-wasn-t-sure-which-i-appreciated-less-the-insincere-concern-or-the/) [Arthur Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-graham/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. 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Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) [Browse all 3,743 Human nature quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Human beings cannot, of course, wholly transcend human nature; something subjective, if only the interest that determines the direction of our attention, must remain in all our thought. 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