3 quotations linked to Political Ideals by or associated with Bertrand Russell, with source notes, explanations and related topics.
Creative and possessive impulses, individuality, freedom, self-respect, education, institutions and conditions for a good individual life.
Use these links when you want to inspect the wording in its wider work or edition.
“We do not want all men to be alike.”
Human development should not be forced into one standardized mold because individuality and creative difference are themselves goods worth protecting.
Political Ideals, early discussion of individual development. Russell immediately criticizes the bad teacher who imposes one opinion and produces pupils giving the same answer to doubtful questions.
“A certain kind of self-respect or native pride is necessary to a good life.”
Russell treats a durable sense of inward worth as necessary for living without surrendering completely to defeat, pressure or external judgment.
Political Ideals, discussion of what social institutions should make possible for individuals. Russell immediately connects self-respect with courage, hope and living by the best within oneself despite obstacles.
“The best life is the one in which the creative impulses play the largest part and the possessive impulses the smallest.”
Russell ranks creative activity above possession, presenting a good life as one organized around making, developing and contributing rather than accumulating.
Political Ideals, Chapter I, Project Gutenberg #4776. Russell distinguishes possessive impulses from creative or constructive impulses and then says that the best life gives the largest role to the latter. This remains a 1917 political-philosophy ideal about individual life and institutions, not a current empirical measure of wellbeing or creativity.
