I think that the evils that men inflict on each other, and by reflection upon themselves, have their main source in evil passions rather than in ideas or beliefs. But ideas and principles that do harm are, as a rule, though not always, cloaks for evil passions.
Source: Bertrand Russell：Ideas That Have Harmed Mankind，1946..
More info.： https://russell-j.com/beginner/0861HARM-020.HTM
* a brief comment:
To cut corners, I instructed ChatGPT to provide concrete examples supporting the argument from “Today's Words of Russell,” and here is the response I received. All of them are well-known events. In particular, the vices committed under the slogan of "neoliberalism" are still ongoing.
************************* To illustrate Russell's argument with specific examples, I (ChatGPT) will list several historical events and actions of key figures. The crucial point here is that "evil passions" were at the root, while "ideologies or principles" served as a convenient disguise.
1. The Inquisition and Witch Hunts (Medieval to Early Modern Europe)
Evil passions: Fear, hatred, lust for power
Ideological disguise: Religious righteousness?eliminating heresy to maintain social order
Outcome: Countless innocent people were persecuted and executed as "witches" or "heretics."
The authority of the Christian Church was exploited to conduct inquisitions and witch hunts, but underlying these actions were fear, jealousy, and even personal vendettas using social punishment as a tool.
2. The Reign of Terror during the French Revolution (1793-1794)
Evil passions: Revenge, hatred, lust for power
Ideological disguise: Revolutionary ideals of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
Outcome: Under Robespierre’s leadership, many citizens labeled as "enemies of the people" were executed by guillotine.
While the revolution began with noble ideals, it gradually devolved into widespread purges driven by hatred of opposition, all carried out under the pretense of ensuring "the people's happiness."
3. he Persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany (20th century)
Evil passions: Hatred, vengeance, racial discrimination
Ideological disguise: "Aryan supremacy" and "Jews are corrupting the nation"
Outcome: The Holocaust resulted in the mass murder of over six million Jews.
Nazism used Jews as scapegoats to channel public discontent, strengthening its grip on power. While it promoted ideas of "national rejuvenation" and "racial purity," its actual foundation was prejudice and hatred.
4. The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976, China)
Evil passions: Power struggles, jealousy, blind fanaticism
Ideological disguise: "Eliminating remnants of capitalism and achieving pure socialism"
Outcome: Intellectuals and officials were persecuted, and millions lost their lives.
Under Mao Zedong’s leadership, the Red Guards indiscriminately attacked "counter-revolutionary elements," but the movement was fueled by power struggles and mass hysteria.
5. The Rwandan Genocide (1994)
Evil passions: Hatred, revenge
Ideological disguise: "Hutu justice" and "Tutsis are the enemy"
Outcome: Over 800,000 Tutsis were massacred within 100 days.
Propaganda, particularly through radio broadcasts, incited racial hatred, framing the mass killings as "acts of justice," when in reality, they were nothing but an eruption of pure malice.
6. Corporate Corruption and Environmental Destruction (Modern Era)
Evil passions: Greed, selfishness
Ideological disguise: "Free market" and "economic growth"
Outcome: Environmental devastation, labor exploitation, large-scale financial fraud.
For instance, corporations often justify deforestation and public health damage as necessary for "economic development" or "market competition," but at the core lies sheer financial greed.
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