Bertrand Russell on tolerance and 'Liberalism'

In an article titled: Shared liberal values define what it is to be British, the writer Keith Farman (writing under the nom-de-plume, Zettel), wrote in August 2005...

"Much has been written lately of what it means to be British. Words like ‘tolerance’ ‘open-mindedness’ ‘fair-play’ recur in this debate but I have not yet seen a coherent satisfying response to the question."

Farman points to a New York Times article published in December 1951, prophetically called 'The Best Answer to Fanaticism - Liberalism', written by the great British philosopher Bertrand Russell. Russell defined liberal values in the form of a decalogue intended to supplement, not supplant, the old Ten Commandments.

Here are Bertrand Russell's 10 principals of Liberalism. To read Farman/Zettel's full online essay including excellent individual responses to Russell's principals, visit this page...

These are Bertrand Russell's 10 principles.

1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worthwhile to proceed by concealing evidence for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your spouse or children, endeavour to overcome it by argument and not authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others as there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do, the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted, was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence, as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful, even when the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise, for only a fool will think it is paradise.

Farman concludes by saying, "If we cannot win the war of ideas and ideals against all forms of absolutism, we cannot win at all. And we cannot display faith and courage in our ideals, by sacrificing them in the face of the first attack of a dedicated enemy."

I can only whole heartedly agree.

Once again, Farman/Zettel's full essay can be read in full here...

Quote of The Day...

Lao Tze: "The bad leader is he who the people hate. The good leader is he who the people love. The great leader is he who the people say: "we did it ourselves."

--o0o--

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