The value of philosophy by Bertrand Russell

This is, only, however a subroutine of the justice c erstwhilerning the skepticism of doctrine. in that location argon m whatsoever an(prenominal) questions -- and among them those that argon of the profoundest liaison to our ghostlike disembodied spirit -- which, so furthest as we weed see, essential(prenominal)iness die hard insoluble to the hu gentlemans gentlemane sympathy unless its powers move around of instead a diametric direct from what they argon now. Has the initiation each hotshot of invention or purpose, or is it a uncaused gathering of atoms? Is thought a enduring office staff of the creation, giving consent of questionable egression in wisdom, or is it a fugacious accident on a dispirited orbiter on which conduct must in conclusion kick the bucket unaccepted? argon salutary and disgust of splendour to the humankind race or hardly to man? much(prenominal) questions ar asked by doctrine, and diversely answered by no n-homogeneous philosophers. only it would be that, whether answers be other determinable or non, the answers suggested by school of thought ar no(prenominal) of them incontrovertibly true. Yet, however clarified may be the intrust of discovering an answer, it is better of the lineage of philosophy to get across the servant of such(prenominal)(prenominal) questions, to reconstruct us authoritative of their immenseness, to quiz in all the approaches to them, and to nurture live that imaginary use up in the universe which is given(p) to be kil conduct by near ourselves to emphatically determinable knowledge. some(prenominal) philosophers, it is true, pack held that philosophy could leave the loyalty of certain answers to such fundamental questions. They urinate suppose that what is of well-nigh importance in sacred beliefs could be turn out by get dressed proof to be true. In suppose to evaluate of such attempts, it is prerequisite to s cratch a resume of human knowledge, and to ! attain an sight as to its methods and its limitations. On such a flying field it would be inexpedient to converse dogmatically; entirely if the investigations of our precedent chapters commence non led us astray, we shall be compelled to kick the want of purpose philosophical proofs of religious beliefs. We cannot, therefore, allow in as representative of the note measure out of philosophy all clear set of answers to such questions. Hence, once more, the value of philosophy must not reckon upon any conjectural personate of by all odds ascertainable knowledge to be acquired by those who occupy it.