Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy (1945), Book Three, Part I, Chapter VII, Francis Bacon, p. 545.

So far, no method has been found which would make it possible to invent hypothesis by rule. Usually some hypothesis is a necessary preliminary to the collection of facts, since the selection of facts demands some way of determining relevance. Without something of this kind, the mere multiplicity of facts is baffling.

— Bertrand Russell on Relevance

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "So far, no method has been found which would make it possible to invent hypothesis by rule. Usually some hypothesis is a necessary preliminary to the collection of facts, since the selection of facts demands some way of determining relevance. Without something of this kind, the mere multiplicity of facts is baffling." in the context of "Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy (1945), Book Three, Part I, Chapter VII, Francis Bacon, p. 545." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Relevance" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 08, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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.