“Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric. The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence for its truth, nor is the fact that it is novel any evidence against it.”
—
Bertrand Russell
Unpopular Essays (1950), Simon & Schuster; also various sources attribute this to Russell
Commentary
Russell advocates intellectual courage and independence from crowd opinion. Many truths were initially held by minorities; many mass beliefs are false. This requires both intellectual humility (we might be wrong) and courage (to hold unpopular positions when evidence warrants).
This became central to Russell's defense of free speech and intellectual freedom. During WWI (when Russell opposed the war), during the Cold War (when he opposed nuclear weapons), he exemplified this principle: thinking against the current when he believed it necessary.
Commentary
Russell advocates intellectual courage and independence from crowd opinion. Many truths were initially held by minorities; many mass beliefs are false. This requires both intellectual humility (we might be wrong) and courage (to hold unpopular positions when evidence warrants).
This became central to Russell's defense of free speech and intellectual freedom. During WWI (when Russell opposed the war), during the Cold War (when he opposed nuclear weapons), he exemplified this principle: thinking against the current when he believed it necessary.