Downloaded 92 times
Uploaded byHifza Kiyani
Ideas that have harmed mankind
Bertrand Russell identifies several ideas that have harmed mankind throughout history, including cruelty, superstitions, and harmful political beliefs. He argues that beliefs in witchcraft, racial and national pride, and the pride of sex, class, and creed have divided people and justified cruelty. Russell advocates for social and political organization, as well as moral qualities like charity and tolerance, to remedy the issues caused by harmful beliefs and promote cooperation between all people.
More Related Content
Similar to Ideas that have harmed mankind
Ideas that have harmed mankind
- 1. BY BETRAND RUSSELL IdeasThat Have Harmed Mankind
- 3. • Causes of Misfortunesof Humans:
- 4. 1. Cruelty ofNature
- 5. 2. Cruelty ofHumans towards one another
- 6. • Pleasure Humansreceive by the Sight of Suffering of Others.
- 7. Example of Hereticsburnt in Lisbon
- 8.
- 9. Cruelty as aProduct of Evil Passions.
- 10. Use of Anestheticsprohibited in Past
- 11. Beating a Lunatic todrive away evil spirit.
- 12. Punishing wives necessaryto improve their behaviour.
- 13.
- 14. Offering of Bloodto Gods to Improve Crops
- 15. Christian Saints enjoyedthe torment of Sinners in Afterlife
- 16. Ideas that haveharmed mankind
- 17. Cruelty prompted bycertain political beliefsCruelty prompted by certain political beliefs
- 18. German Nazis Sacrifice comfort,pleasures and belief in a hard and strenuous life. Sacrifice comfort, pleasures and belief in a hard and strenuous life.
- 19. Slogan was “guns rather than butter”
- 20. The same outlookis fond in communists and Milton’s Satan. The same outlook is found in communists and Milton’s Satan.
- 21. Some are sinnersand some are saints.
- 22. The cruelty causedby the belief in witchcraft The cruelty caused by the belief in witchcraft
- 23. • People givea great importance to themselves. • Imagine good or evil or good fortune to be the purpose of other’s action. • This mentality give rise to necromancy and witchcraft.
- 24. • Witch isa person • Injures her neighbours from
- 25. • Sheer hatredSheer hatred
- 26. • Not anyhope of gain Not any hope of gain
- 27. • Bible supportedthis belief. • “ thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Bible supported this belief. “ thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
- 28. • Religion notonly punish witches but also those who refused to believe in witchcraft.
- 29. • Science dispelbut could not wholly dispel.
- 30. Envy Cause of falsebelieve is envy.
- 31. Women are knownfor their mutual jealousies and rivalries.
- 32. Envy leads alot of misunderstanding. 1. Economic interest 2. Individual sense 3. National sense
- 33.
- 34. • People areproud of their 1. Nationality 2. Race 3. Sex 4. Class 5. creed
- 35. Divisive force • Englishman are taught to believe that they are superior to Frenchman and Germans. • This kind of national pride is a divisive force.
- 36. Conception of sinand punishment
- 37. • conception ofsins and punishment for sin is both in religion and in politics. • Sin is not innate( according to some psychologists)
- 38. 02/16/15 Use of Irony •All pervasive in the writings of Russell. • To expose the absurdity of institutions, ideas, beliefs, customs. • Ironical picture of the minds of the Christian saints. • Through fables Russell makes us laugh at the absurdity of human beings. • Irony in the feelings of national, racial and religious pride. “We are Americans, therefore America is God’s own country. We are white, and therefore God cursed Ham and his descendants who were black.”
- 39. Racial pride •The beliefthat race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
- 40. More harmful thanpride of Nationality British and American believe
- 41.
- 42. Jews and Christian Superiorityover one another Infinite harm Aim of education
- 43. The Pride ofSex/Gender
- 44. Male over female Noinnate superiority Proved superiority by men Physical strength Men more reasonable than women More inventive Less swayed by emotion
- 45.
- 46. Concept of marriage Masterand slave Civilized countries Concept of marriage Master and slave Civilized countries
- 47. The Pride ofClass Soviet Russia Son of proletarian vs son of bourgeois In democratic countries In America Rich and middle class Hypocrisy In England Snobbery Wealth and education
- 48. The Pride ofCreed Wrong belief Christians Muslims in middle ages Entirely wicked
- 49. Pride as foodfor self-esteem
- 50. • Americans feedtheir self-esteem by the belief that America is God’s own country.
- 51. The white racesfeed their self-esteem by the believe that black people are black because God’s curse upon them.
- 53. The Protestant feedtheir self- esteem by thinking themselves to be superior to the Catholics.
- 54. Men feed their self-esteemby thinking themselves to be more reasonable then women.
- 55. Women feed their self- esteemby thinking men to be brutes.
- 56. Russell’s Humanitarianism • A greatchampion of mankind. • Well wisher. • Zeal of a missionary. • Speaks Harmful results of envy. • Ardent love of mankind.
- 57.
- 58.
- 59.
- 60.
- 61.
- 62.
- 63. Lack of experiencein nations
- 64.
- 65. Remedies • Organisation • MoralQualities
- 66. Moral Qualities • Charity •Tolerance
- 67.
- 68.
- 69. Organisation • Political organisation-eliminationof war. • Economic organisation- increase productivity. • Educational organisation-sane feelings.
- 70. Moral and intellectualrealisation.
- 71.