Q0452
“To teach how to live without certainty, and yet without being paralyzed…” — Bertrand Russell (A History of Western Philosophy, Introduction)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: A History of Western Philosophy, Introduction. Theme: knowledge.
English
To teach how to live without certainty, and yet without being paralyzed by hesitation, is perhaps the chief thing that philosophy… can still do.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to A History of Western Philosophy, Introduction and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was a British philosopher, logician, and public intellectual who helped found analytic philosophy. With A.
How to read this passage
Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge.
Concepts in this quote
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Bertrand Russell. (n.d.). To teach how to live without certainty, and yet without being paralyzed by hesitation, is perhaps the chief thing that philosophy… can still do. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0452
MLA: Bertrand Russell. “To teach how to live without certainty, and….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0452.
Chicago: Bertrand Russell. “To teach how to live without certainty, and….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0452.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “To teach how to live without certainty, and…”?
The passage is attributed to Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, Introduction. The archive attributes this English wording to A History of Western Philosophy, Introduction and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Bertrand Russell mean by knowledge?
Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge.