by DAVID BROWN | CLEARNFO.com | June 15, 2023

BERTRAND RUSSELL Red Lion Square, London WC1. 1982 Sculptor Marcelle Quinton.

Bertrand Russell (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970)

Selected quotes from 1953:

“Gradually, by selective breeding, the congenital differences between rulers and ruled will increase until they become almost different species. A revolt of the plebs would become as unthinkable as an organized insurrection of sheep against the practice of eating mutton.”

Bertrand Russell – The Impact of Science on Society  (January 1, 1953)

“Anaxagoras maintained that snow is black but no one believed him. The social psychologists of the future will have a number of classes of school children on whom they will fay different methods of producing an unshakable conviction that snow is black. Various results will soon be arrived at: First, that the influence of the home is obstructive; second, not much can be done unless indoctrination begins before age ten; third, that verses set to music and repeatedly intoned are very effective; fourth, that the opinion that snow is white must be held to show a morbid taste for eccentricity. But I anticipate it is for future scientists to make these maxims precise and discover exactly how much it costs per head to make children believe that snow is black and how much less it would cost to make them believe it is dark grey.”

Bertrand Russell – The Impact of Science on Society  (January 1, 1953)