Modern philosophy, however, has retained, for the most part, an individualistic and subjective tendency. This is very marked in Descartes, who builds up all knowledge from the certainty of his own existence, and accepts clearness and distinctness (both subjective) as criteria of truth.
Rousseau and the romantic movement extended subjectivity from theory of knowledge to ethics and politics, and ended, logically, in complete anarchism such as that of Bakunin. This extreme of subjectivism is a form of madness.
The philosophies that have been inspired by scientific technique are power philosophies, and tend to regard everything non-human as mere raw material. Ends are no longer considered; only the skilfulness of the process is valued. This also is a form of madness. (highlight added by me)
~ Bertrand Russell
Excerpts from the same chapter from the previous posting on the comparison of Science & Religion (old world style). They are cut/paste, spelling errors are his or his editors. :-D
Unfortunately, later in his life, he too fell for the madness.
Uprooted and transplanted which leads to my view of the world being, sometimes, a bit different than most. Not always right, not always wrong. I just think too much and had to find a way to get it all out of my head.
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