I wish to propose for the reader's favourable consideration a doctrine which may, I fear, appear wildly paradoxical and subversive. The doctrine in question is this: that it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true." - Meaning and context.">
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Ch. 1: The Value of Scepticism
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I wish to propose for the reader's favourable consideration a doctrine which may, I fear, appear wildly paradoxical and subversive. The doctrine in question is this: that it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true.

— Bertrand Russell

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I wish to propose for the reader's favourable consideration a doctrine which may, I fear, appear wildly paradoxical and subversive. The doctrine in question is this: that it is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true." in the context of "Ch. 1: The Value of Scepticism" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Bertrand Russell" (Quotes, 1920s, Sceptical Essays (1928)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 08, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

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#Bertrand Russell#doctrine#consideration#paradoxical#undesirable#proposition#favourable#subversive#supposing#question#whatever#propose
Bertrand Russell

About Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (May 18, 1872 – February 2, 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. In 1950, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature.