SGEM Xtra: Think, About It – Ten Commandments for Teachers - The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine

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Date: December 6, 2024

Guest Skeptic: Akil Dasan is a multifaceted artist renowned for his talents as a rapper, singer, guitarist, and beatboxer. He gained prominence as a member of the British jazz-rap group Us3, contributing to their 2006 album “Schizophonic“.

This is an SGEM Xtra. We have done a top ten list before on the SGEM. That episode was the Ten Commandments of EBM. This time we are looking at a 1951 article written by Bertrand Russell and published in The New York Times Magazine. The title of his article was “The Best Answer to Fanaticism–Liberalism”

Bertrand Russell was one of the most influential philosophers, logicians, and social critics of the 20th century. Russell is known for his groundbreaking work in mathematical logic and analytic philosophy. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950 for his varied writings championing humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought. Russell’s work spanned a wide range of topics, including philosophy, mathematics, politics, and education, and he was an outspoken advocate for peace and social reform. Russell’s clarity of thought and commitment to rational inquiry continue to inspire and challenge thinkers around the world.

Bertrand Russell had many pithy quotes. Here are a few of my favourites:

In his 1951 New York Times article, Russell discusses his perspective on the struggle between tyranny and anarchy throughout history, both of which he viewed as dangerous extremes. He argued that liberalism is less a rigid doctrine and more a disposition, valuing the freedom to challenge ideas through reasoned argument rather than suppression. Russell was critical of both blind allegiance to authority and the radical impulse to overthrow authority without regard for the consequences.

There is a great quote in the article where Russell says:

“The teacher who urges doctrines subversive to existing authority does not, if he is a liberal, advocate the establishment of a new authority even more tyrannical than the old. He advocates certain limits to the exercise of authority, and he wishes these limits to be observed not only when the authority would support a creed with which he disagrees but also when it would support one with which he is in complete agreement. I am, for my part, a believer in democracy, but I do not like a regime which makes belief in democracy compulsory.”

The article concludes with Russell’s “Ten Commandments” for a liberal life, which as a teacher, he wished to promulgate. The list emphasizes skepticism, transparency, intellectual courage, and respect for dissent. These principles reflect his belief that a healthy democracy relies on open dialogue, honest inquiry, and the rejection of dogmatic certainty.

Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments

Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
Do not think it worthwhile to produce belief by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
Never try to discourage thinking, for you are sure to succeed.
When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
Be scrupulously truthful, even when truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.

If you are interested in learning more about Bertrand Russell there is an excellent graphic novel called Logicomix – An Epic Search for Truth. “This exceptional graphic novel recounts the spiritual odyssey of philosopher Bertrand Russell. In his agonized search for absolute truth, Russell crosses paths with legendary thinkers like Gottlob Frege, David Hilbert, and Kurt Gödel, and finds a passionate student in the great Ludwig Wittgenstein. But his most ambitious goal-to establish unshakable logical foundations of mathematics-continues to loom before him. Through love and hate, peace and war, Russell persists in the dogged mission that threatens to claim both his career and his personal happiness, finally driving him to the brink of insanity.”

The SGEM will be back next episode doing a structured critical appraisal of a recent publication. Trying to cut the knowledge translation window down from over ten years to less than one year using the power of social media. So, patients get the best care, based on the best evidence.

Other SGEM Episodes on Philosophy: