Dora Russell

Dora Russell born Dora Black, was a British feminist, social activist and writer. She was the second wife of philosopher Bertrand Russell.

Sourced

• Strictly speaking, no person who believes that wars between classes and nations are inevitable is fit to be in charge of the destiny of children. To believe in the unity of the human race and get children to believe it in early youth would mean the creation of that unity and the end of war.
  • The Right to Be Happy (1927) Ch. V.

• Art that means anything in the life of a community must bear some relation to current interpretations of the mystery of the universe. Our rigid separation of the humanities and the sciences has temporarily left our art stranded or stammering and incoherent.
  • The Right to Be Happy (1927) Ch. V.

• We want better reasons for having children than not knowing how to prevent them.
  • Hypatia (1925) Ch. 4

• Feminists have emphasized for a long time the importance of each woman’s individual entity and the necessity of economic independence. Perhaps it was necessary. But now I think we need some emphasis on the instinctive side of life, sex and motherhood.... Life isn’t all earning your living. Unfortunately we fall in love and Feminism must take that into consideration.
  • "Who is Dora Black?" Equal Rights (5 June 1926)

• We have never yet had a Labour Government that knew what taking power really means; they always act like second-class citizens.
  • As quoted in The Observer (30 January 1983)

• We do not want our world to perish. But in our quest for knowledge, century by century, we have placed all our trust in a cold, impartial intellect which only brings us nearer to destruction. We have heeded no wisdom offering guidance. Only by learning to love one another can our world be saved. Only love can conquer all.
  • Challenge to the Cold War (1985) Vol. 3, Ch. 14

Attributed

• Humanity will ever seek but never attain perfection. Let us at least survive and go on trying.

• Marriage laws, the police, armies and navies are the mark of human incompetence.