John Searle, Closer To Truth interview with Robert Lawrence Kuhn (2016) (at 1:22)
“
As an undergraduate I was a member of the Voltaire Society, and we used to have dinner with Bertrand Russell, and he was 85 years old. And we thought, you know, he is getting on in years, and we put the question to him, we said: "Well, suppose it were all true, that after you pass away you show up at the Pearly Gates, what would you say to Him?" And Russell didn't hesitate a minute, he said: "I would say to Him: you didn't give us enough evidence!"
— John Searle on Bertrand Russell
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "As an undergraduate I was a member of the Voltaire Society, and we used to have dinner with Bertrand Russell, and he was 85 years old. And we thought, you know, he is getting on in years, and we put the question to him, we said: "Well, suppose it were all true, that after you pass away you show up at the Pearly Gates, what would you say to Him?" And Russell didn't hesitate a minute, he said: "I would say to Him: you didn't give us enough evidence!"" in the context of "John Searle, Closer To Truth interview with Robert Lawrence Kuhn (2016) (at 1:22)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Bertrand Russell" (Quotes about Russell)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About John Searle
John Rogers Searle (July 31, 1932 – September 17, 2025) was the Slusser Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, and is noted for contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind and consciousness, on the characteristics of socially constructed versus physical realities, and on practical reason. He was awarded the Jean Nicod Prize in 2000.
About John Searle
John Rogers Searle (July 31, 1932 – September 17, 2025) was the Slusser Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, and is noted for contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind and consciousness, on the characteristics of socially constructed versus physical realities, and on practical reason. He was awarded the Jean Nicod Prize in 2000.
View all quotes →