Moral and intellectual requirements are inextricably intertwined. Evil passions make men incapable of seeing the truth, and false beliefs afford excuses for evil passions. If the world is to emerge, it requires both clear thinking and kindly feeling. It may be that neither will be learned except through utmost disaster, I hope this is not the case.
Source: Adaptation: An Autobiographical Epitome, by Bertrand Russell.
In: Portraits from Memory and Other Essays, 1956.
＜寸言＞
日頃は穏やかな人に見えていても、ふとした時に、その人が特定のことに強いこだわりや情熱を持っていることに気づき、驚くことがあります。よい意味でのこだわりや情熱ならばまったく問題ありませんが、偏見や事実誤認に基づく場合は看過できません。
たとえば、特定の集団や国民などに対する偏見や事実誤認は、大きな軋轢を生むことが少なくありません。
「本日のラッセルの言葉」のなかの「世界は明晰な思考と思いやりを必要とする」(the world requires both clear thinking and kindly feeling.)という言葉はとても示唆的です。
「このどちらも極度の悲惨を経過せずには学び取ることができないかもしれない」（It may be that neither will be learned except through utmost disaster.）というラッセルの危惧が、現実のものとなるかもしれません。
なぜなら、「明晰な思考」や「他人への思いやり」はそれぞれ個別にはよく強調されるものの、ラッセルのように両者を同時に強調する人は少なく、そのために問題が実際に解決へと向かいにくいからです。
Even people who usually appear gentle may, at unexpected moments, reveal a strong attachment or passion for certain matters, and this can be surprising. Such attachments or passions pose no problem when they are directed toward something good, but when they are based on prejudice or factual misunderstanding, they cannot be overlooked.
For example, prejudice or misperception directed toward certain groups or nationalities often gives rise to serious friction.
The words from "Today's Russell," "the world requires both clear thinking and kindly feeling," are highly suggestive. Russell's concern that "neither will be learned except through utmost disaster” may well become a reality. The reason is that, although "clear thinking" and "kindness toward others" are each often emphasized individually, few people underscore both at the same time, as Russell did. As a result, it becomes difficult for problems to move toward actual resolution.
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#バートランド・ラッセル #Bertrand_Russell