 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
The Spartans thought that homosexuality promoted courage in battle. We might still approve of the execution of witches, if we believed that they had the maleficent powers with which they were credited in the Middle Ages. The difference between ourselves and other ages in these respects is attributable to a difference between our beliefs and theirs as to the effects of actions. The actions which they condemned were such as, in their opinion, would have certain effects, and we agree with them in thinking that such effects are to be avoided if possible.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Human Society in Ethics and Politics, (1954), chapter 9：Is there ethical knowledge ?
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Every age has its own "beliefs" that make people of a later age wonder why such things were believed at the time. It is comforting when one's opinion is the same as the opinion of many, but it is uncomfortable when it is not. (Of course, some people are better at being in the minority.)
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