--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bertrand Russell used to employ the…" description: "\"Bertrand Russell used to employ the method of \"evidence against interest\"; in other words of deciding that a critique of capital punishment, say, carri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/christopher-hitchens-117_argument_bertrand-russell-used-to-employ-the-meth_2998080.jpg" --- # Bertrand Russell used to employ the method of "evidence… ![“Bertrand Russell used to employ the method of "evidence against interest"; in other words of deciding that a critique of capital punishment, say, carried more weight if it came from a prison governor. (My friend John O'Sullivan puts it like this: If the pope says he believes in God, he's only…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/christopher-hitchens-117_argument_bertrand-russell-used-to-employ-the-meth_2998080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/christopher-hitchens-117_argument_bertrand-russell-used-to-employ-the-meth_2998080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfc/christopher-hitchens-117_argument_bertrand-russell-used-to-employ-the-meth_2998080.jpg) > “Bertrand Russell used to employ the method of "evidence against interest"; in other words of deciding that a critique of capital punishment, say, carried more weight if it came from a prison governor. (My friend John O'Sullivan puts it like this: If the pope says he believes in God, he's only doing his job; if he says he doesn't believe in God, he may be on to something.)” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Credibility of a critique increases when it comes from an unexpected source, challenging authority. **In simple terms:** Unexpected sources boost credibility. Key Takeaway Seek diverse perspectives. Themes authority critique perspective Mood critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - debates - policy discussions - media analysis - legal reforms Key Concepts ethics political philosophy social influence Questions to Reflect On - How do you evaluate source credibility? - When should you trust an unlikely advocate? A Different Perspective Opposing views may be dismissed as bias. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Believe in god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-in-god/) [Capital punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital-punishment/) [Critique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critique/) [Governors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governors/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Interest in others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest-in-others/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pope/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) ## Related quotes > [“A saving grace of the human condition (if I may phrase it like that) is a sense of humor. 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