--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The conception of the necessary unit of…" description: "\"The conception of the necessary unit of all that is resolves itself into the poverty of the imagination, and a freer logic emancipates us from the stra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/bertrand-russell-69_benevolent_the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of_1924836.jpg" --- # The conception of the necessary unit of all that is… ![“The conception of the necessary unit of all that is resolves itself into the poverty of the imagination, and a freer logic emancipates us from the straitwaistcoated benevolent institution, which idealism palms off as the totality of being.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/bertrand-russell-69_benevolent_the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of_1924836.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/bertrand-russell-69_benevolent_the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of_1924836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/bertrand-russell-69_benevolent_the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of_1924836.jpg) > “The conception of the necessary unit of all that is resolves itself into the poverty of the imagination, and a freer logic emancipates us from the straitwaistcoated benevolent institution, which idealism palms off as the totality of being.” [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. Our imagination limits us; freeing logic expands understanding beyond restrictive ideals. **In simple terms:** Imagination limits; logic frees. Key Takeaway Cultivate logical thinking to broaden perspective. Themes knowledge freedom imagination Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - academic debate - creative writing - personal growth Key Concepts logic philosophy idealism Questions to Reflect On - How does your imagination hinder you? - What logical tools help you? A Different Perspective Logic alone cannot solve emotional issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conception/) [Great imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-imagination/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Rationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality/) [Resolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolve/) ## Related quotes > [“The idea that things must have a beginning is really due to the poverty of our imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-idea-that-things-must-have-a-beginning-is-really-due-to-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“To be in continual ecstasies over nature shows poverty of imagination. In comparison with what my imagination can give me, all these streams and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/to-be-in-continual-ecstasies-over-nature-shows-poverty-of-imagination/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [The reason we have poverty is that we have no imagination. There are a great many people accumulating what they think is vast wealth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/the-reason-we-have-poverty-is-that-we-have-no-imagination-there-are-a/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [The way that a handful of corporations in Los Angeles dictate how our stories are told creates a real poverty of imagination and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/the-way-that-a-handful-of-corporations-in-los-angeles-dictate-how-our/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > [Compared to Nature we suffer a poverty of imagination; it is thus much easier for us to uncover than to invent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-lenat/compared-to-nature-we-suffer-a-poverty-of-imagination-it-is-thus-much/) Douglas Lenat > [The poverty of our imagination is no measure of say the world's resources. Our posterity will no doubt get fuel in ways that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/the-poverty-of-our-imagination-is-no-measure-of-say-the-world-s/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Microsoft is a company that manages imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/microsoft-is-a-company-that-manages-imagination/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/all-the-breaks-you-need-in-life-wait-within-your-imagination/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I think that is the secret of great acting. You have to bring your imagination to the party. You've got to have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-think-that-is-the-secret-of-great-acting-you-have-to-bring-your/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Mr. Bergman had a great imagination and saw the possibilities within every one of his actors, and he gave us great challenges. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-von-sydow/mr-bergman-had-a-great-imagination-and-saw-the-possibilities-within/) [Max von Sydow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-von-sydow/) > [Dreams are more powerful than facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/dreams-are-more-powerful-than-facts/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [True invective requires great imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/true-invective-requires-great-imagination/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [In physics, one of the most exciting areas is in nanotech. With computers exhausting the power of silicon, Silicon Valley could become a Rust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/in-physics-one-of-the-most-exciting-areas-is-in-nanotech-with/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Fancy, an animal faculty, is very different from imagination, which is intellectual. The former is passive; but the latter is active and creative. Children,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/fancy-an-animal-faculty-is-very-different-from-imagination-which-is/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [I think the secret of great acting is that you have to bring your imagination to the party. You have to have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-think-the-secret-of-great-acting-is-that-you-have-to-bring-your/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) ## 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 Benevolent quotes > [“But benevolent patriarchy is still patriarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/but-benevolent-patriarchy-is-still-patriarchy/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Intelligent Design opens the whole possibility of us being created in the image of a benevolent God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-a-dembski/intelligent-design-opens-the-whole-possibility-of-us-being-created-in/) [William A. Dembski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-a-dembski/) > [The soul of the truly benevolent man does not seem to reside much in his own body. Its life, to a great extent, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/the-soul-of-the-truly-benevolent-man-does-not-seem-to-reside-much-in/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [If Despotism failed only for want of a capable benevolent despot, what chance has Democracy, which requires a whole population of capable voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/if-despotism-failed-only-for-want-of-a-capable-benevolent-despot-what/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“There's no pain on earth that doesn't require a benevolent witness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/there-s-no-pain-on-earth-that-doesn-t-require-a-benevolent-witness/) [sue monk kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [You can't have it both ways. You can't have both free will and a benevolent higher power who protects you from yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/you-can-t-have-it-both-ways-you-can-t-have-both-free-will-and-a/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [A universal peace, it is to be feared, is in the catalogue of events, which will never exist but in the imaginations of visionary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/a-universal-peace-it-is-to-be-feared-is-in-the-catalogue-of-events/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [I worship nothing. Not a good lie nor a dark one. If nature is proof of God's amazing creation then I have truly seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-numan/i-worship-nothing-not-a-good-lie-nor-a-dark-one-if-nature-is-proof-of/) [Gary Numan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-numan/) > [What am I writing for anyway? Is it like dreaming? Is it a benevolent process? Something that moves the past forward? And what about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selima-hill/what-am-i-writing-for-anyway-is-it-like-dreaming-is-it-a-benevolent/) [Selima Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selima-hill/) > [The Jews looked for a special savior, a messiah, who was to redeem mankind by the agreeable process of restoring the fabulous glories of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/the-jews-looked-for-a-special-savior-a-messiah-who-was-to-redeem/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [“It’s okay, buddy!” I shade my eyes and look up at the sky. “Luckily for you, I am both stunningly good-looking and benevolent. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wolf/it-s-okay-buddy-i-shade-my-eyes-and-look-up-at-the-sky-luckily-for/) [Sara Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wolf/) > [Nature is not benevolent; Nature is just, gives pound for pound, measure for measure, makes no exceptions, never tempers her decrees with mercy, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/nature-is-not-benevolent-nature-is-just-gives-pound-for-pound-measure/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [“My creed on the subject of slavery is short. Slavery per se is not sin. It is a social condition ordained from the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-morse/my-creed-on-the-subject-of-slavery-is-short-slavery-per-se-is-not-sin/) [Samuel Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-morse/) > [The charming aspect of Christmas is the fact that it expresses good will in a cheerful, happy, benevolent, non-sacrificial way. One says: “Merry Christmas”-not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-charming-aspect-of-christmas-is-the-fact-that-it-expresses-good/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [... so large a portion of those who hold much capital, instead of using their various advantages for the greatest good of those around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catharine-beecher/so-large-a-portion-of-those-who-hold-much-capital-instead-of-using/) [Catharine Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catharine-beecher/) Browse all 289 Benevolent quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The conception of the necessary unit of all that is resolves itself into the poverty of the imagination, and a freer logic emancipates us from the straitwaistcoated benevolent institution, which idealism palms off as the totality of being.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bertrand Russell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of-all-that-is-resolves-itself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Benevolent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of-all-that-is-resolves-itself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/bertrand-russell-69_benevolent_the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of_1924836.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/bertrand-russell-69_benevolent_the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of_1924836.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/bertrand-russell-69_benevolent_the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of_1924836.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The conception of the necessary unit of all that is resolves itself into the poverty of the imagination, and…” — 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": "The conception of the necessary unit...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of-all-that-is-resolves-itself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-conception-of-the-necessary-unit-of-all-that-is-resolves-itself/#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 } } ] } ```