---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science is no substitute for virtue; the…"
description: "\"Science is no substitute for virtue; the heart is as necessary for a good life as the head.\" — Bertrand Russell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/bertrand-russell-69_character_science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the_443052.jpg"
---

#  Science is no substitute for virtue; the heart is as…

![“Science is no substitute for virtue; the heart is as necessary for a good life as the head.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/bertrand-russell-69_character_science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the_443052.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/bertrand-russell-69_character_science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the_443052.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/bertrand-russell-69_character_science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the_443052.jpg)

> “Science is no substitute for virtue; the heart is as necessary for a good life as the head.”

[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.

Virtue and intellect are both essential; moral character complements rational thought.

**In simple terms:** Both heart and mind matter for a good life.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate moral and intellectual growth.

Themes

ethics reason balance

Mood

inspirational philosophical

Type

educational ethical

When to use this quote

- education
- leadership
- personal development

Key Concepts

philosophy humanism

Questions to Reflect On

- How to integrate virtue into decision making?
- What practices nurture both mind and heart?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on intellect can neglect compassion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Good life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-life/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/)

## Related quotes

> [Silence of the heart is necessary so you can hear God everywhere - in the closing of the door, in the person who needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/silence-of-the-heart-is-necessary-so-you-can-hear-god-everywhere-in/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [Keep your heart pure. A pure heart is necessary to see God in each other. If you see God in each other, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/keep-your-heart-pure-a-pure-heart-is-necessary-to-see-god-in-each/)

[Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/)

> [Words, yes, formulating things, creating something from your heart, it is something very necessary, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-marceau/words-yes-formulating-things-creating-something-from-your-heart-it-is/)

[Sophie Marceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-marceau/)

> [Charity is a virtue of the heart, and not of the hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/charity-is-a-virtue-of-the-heart-and-not-of-the-hands/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding-place and let it be free and unashamed. Place in matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/seek-goodness-everywhere-and-when-it-is-found-bring-it-out-of-its-2/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [Love is the greatest virtue of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/love-is-the-greatest-virtue-of-the-heart/)

[Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/)

> [“Knowledge in the head and virtue in the heart, time devoted to study or business, instead of show and pleasure, are the way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/knowledge-in-the-head-and-virtue-in-the-heart-time-devoted-to-study/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [“Everything a Good Person Says or Does is not necessary to be Good”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venkat-gandhi/everything-a-good-person-says-or-does-is-not-necessary-to-be-good/)

[Venkat Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venkat-gandhi/)

> [I want to be necessary and do good works. I ain't here to waste nobody's time, because I don't want you to waste mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-want-to-be-necessary-and-do-good-works-i-ain-t-here-to-waste-nobody/)

[Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/)

> [I exhort you and beseech you in the bowels of Christ, faint not, weary not. There is a great necessity of heaven; ye must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/i-exhort-you-and-beseech-you-in-the-bowels-of-christ-faint-not-weary/)

[Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/)

> [Religion, morality, and knowledge are necessary for good government... Therefore schools and the means of educating the people should always be encouraged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/religion-morality-and-knowledge-are-necessary-for-good-government/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [I didn't realize it until I was grown how necessary it is for good people to be tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-dee/i-didn-t-realize-it-until-i-was-grown-how-necessary-it-is-for-good/)

[Ruby Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-dee/)

> [Good things to say only and hear about the good are saying is not necessary/good things of those who have a good character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/good-things-to-say-only-and-hear-about-the-good-are-saying-is-not/)

Mak\_786

> [Something which is good for you may not be necessary that its good for me and Something which is bad for me may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-p-s/something-which-is-good-for-you-may-not-be-necessary-that-its-good/)

Nina P S

> [Fortunately, however, we no longer have to argue that self -love is not only necessary and good but that it also is a prerequisite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rollo-may/fortunately-however-we-no-longer-have-to-argue-that-self-love-is-not/)

[Rollo May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rollo-may/)

## 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. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Of all evils of war the greatest is the purely spiritual evil: the hatred, the injustice, the repudiation of truth, the artificial conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/of-all-evils-of-war-the-greatest-is-the-purely-spiritual-evil-the/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/aristotle-maintained-that-women-have-fewer-teeth-than-men-although-he/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-an-opinion-contrary-to-your-own-makes-you-angry-that-is-a-sign/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Persecution is used in theology, not in arithmetic, because in arithmetic there is knowledge, but in theology there is only opinion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/persecution-is-used-in-theology-not-in-arithmetic-because-in/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Many orthodox people speak as though it were the business of sceptics to disprove received dogmas rather than of dogmatists to prove them. 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 Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

David Hudgins

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Science is no substitute for virtue; the heart is as necessary for a good life as the head.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bertrand Russell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the-heart-is-as-necessary-for-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the-heart-is-as-necessary-for-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/bertrand-russell-69_character_science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the_443052.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/bertrand-russell-69_character_science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the_443052.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/bertrand-russell-69_character_science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the_443052.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Science is no substitute for virtue; the heart is as necessary for a good life as the head.” — Bertrand Russell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bertrand Russell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Science is no substitute for virtue;...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the-heart-is-as-necessary-for-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-is-no-substitute-for-virtue-the-heart-is-as-necessary-for-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
