Who said “Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds…”?

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Bertrand Russell. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceUnpopular Essays (1950)

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“Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.”
— Bertrand Russell
VerifiedUnpopular Essays (1950) · evidenceCredulity

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Unpopular Essays (1950).

APA

Russell, B. (n.d.). Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/12085-man-is-a-credulous-animal-and-must-believe/

MLA

Russell, Bertrand. “Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/12085-man-is-a-credulous-animal-and-must-believe/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Russell, Bertrand. “Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/12085-man-is-a-credulous-animal-and-must-believe/.

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