Bertrand Russell
  • The fundamental concept in social science is Power, in the same sense in which Energy is the fundamental concept in physics.

  • Much that passes as idealism is disguised hatred or disguised love of power.

  • Next to enjoying ourselves, the next greatest pleasure consists in preventing others from enjoying themselves, or, more generally, in the acquisition of power.

  • Admiration of the proletariat, like that of dams, power stations, and aeroplanes, is part of the ideology of the machine age.

  • Machines are worshipped because they are beautiful and valued because they confer power they are hated because they are hideous and loathed because they impose slavery.