Prose
1. How To Avoid Foolish Opinions ( Bertrand Russell )
1. Answer Any Two of the following questions in about 100 words each. [2 x 4=8 Marks]
1) How can we prevent developing a dogmatic attitude as per Russell’s suggestion?
2) Travel is an excellent educator. Explain with reference to Russell’s essay How to Avoid Foolish Opinions.
3) According to Russel, what is the only way to tackle self-pride?
4) What does Bertrand Russell say about a person getting angry about a difference of opinion?
The lesson “How to Avoid Foolish Opinions” is written by “Bertrand Russell”. He was born in the United Kingdom. He was a Philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, writer, social critic, political activist, and Nobel laureate. His writing is characterised by an extended knowledge of science and philosophy. He is the author of Principia Mathematica, The Problem of Philosophy, and many other influential works.
The article “How to Avoid foolish Opinions” deals with various ways to avoid many mistakes man makes. Making a keen observation, where it can settle the bias in the first way. Next to know what other people think, one has to be aware of what they think to avoid the various foolish opinions to which mankind is prone we need to follow a few simple rules persecution is used in theology, If someone says two and two are five, we don’t feel angry, But if we lack in arithmetic knowledge, we become angry,as there is only opinion while in arithmetic there is knowledge. Opinions differ from person to person and hence biased. The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. So getting angry about a difference of opinion should put you on guard, for on deeper examination you will probably find that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants. Our principle should not be dogmatic,others standards and ideals should be equally respected.
According to author travel is an excellent educator, it was profitable in-diminishing the intensity of insular prejudice. It teaches one, through many live examples, what cultures customs, crops climates, etc. If the circumstances doesn’t permit you to travel, then meet people with whom you disagree. If you feel that they seem to be mad, perverse or wicked, remind yourself that likewise you seem to them instead of dropping their own foolish custom, they adopt the foolish custom of others, but on the whole it is a good way to become aware of opinions held in social circles different from your own.
The author advises to those who have enough psychological imagination to plan an imaginary argument with a person having different bias. These can be useful as it is not subject to the same limitations of time and space. This made him less dogmatic and cocksure realising the possible reasonableness of hypothetical opponent.
The essay advises us on avoiding bad ideas. He stresses on the fact to be wary of opinions that flatter your self-esteem. Both men and women are firmly convinced of their superior excellence. And there are several evidence of this for example when men point out that most men are poets and men of science, the women are quick to retort so also the criminals. Everything has its own characteristics merits and demerits. The only way of dealing with human conceit is to remind ourselves that man is brief episode in the life of a small planet in the little corner of the huge universe and for all we know, other parts of the cosmos may contain beings as or more superior to ourselves, and in this way burst the bubble of ego. The method is to remember how short our life span is on a small planet.
Thus Russell gives us tips on how to avoid foolish opinions. The first is observation then, being ready to reconsider our opinions, the third is becoming aware of the fact, the fourth is ample use of psychological imagination and the fifth is keeping self-esteem within limits.
” A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
OR
The lesson “How to Avoid Foolish Opinions“ is written by “Bertrand Russell“. He was born in the United Kingdom. He was a Philosopher, mathematician, historian, writer, political activist, and Nobel laureate.
The article “How to Avoid foolish Opinions“deals with various ways to avoid many mistakes a man makes. He says that there are many way to avoid being foolish. Making a keen observation where it can settle the bias is the first way. Next, to know what other people think one has to be aware of what they think. This can be done by going on vacation and talking to people with different ideas. The third is arguing with an imaginary character who has a different point of view. The fourth one is to deal with one’s sense of self-esteem which is the hardest, to overcome we must remember that we live for a short while on a small planet.
Thus, Russell gives us tips on how to avoid foolish opinions.
