 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
It should be the business of psychologists and others to ascertain the causes of anti-social impulses and to endeavour to remove them. This is a matter to be treated by the methods of the scientist, rather than by those of the traditional moralist. Traditional moralists have believed too much in the efficacy of preaching and explicit exhortation, and too little in the scientific investigation of psychological causation. This has been bound up with an undue emphasis upon sin and free-will. Many character defects are as little to be cured by preaching as are bodily ailments.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Human Society in Ethics and Politics, 1954, chapter 13: Ethical Sanctions, n.7
More info.: https://russell-j.com/cool/47T-1307.htm
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Some people are likely to be quick to cut before ‘and’ and translate ‘It should be the business of psychologists’ into Japanese. This is, of course, the construction ‘It ~ to’, and ‘psychologists and others’ should not be translated into Japanese with ‘psychologists’ and ‘and others’ separated.
What Russell is saying is common sense, but there are many people who do not understand it.
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