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

Idealism often carries positive connotations: the pursuit of noble principles, aspirations to improve society, and selfless dedication to higher causes. Yet, under Bertrand Russell’s scrutiny, idealism shifts from a purely virtuous stance to something deeply ambiguous. When individuals or groups claim to act from idealistic motives, Russell warns, their professed goals may actually serve as a mask, a façade that conceals less admirable drives.

Hatred, for example, is frequently hidden beneath the rhetoric of high-minded crusades. Calls to “uplift humanity” or to “eliminate evil” might provide cover for resentment against certain people or institutions. By identifying a supposed enemy, be it a class, race, nation, or ideology, and framing their removal as a moral imperative, real feelings of animosity receive a layer of moral justification. The energy driving action then is not just a love of good, but a passionate detestation of some “other,” transformed and rationalized by the language of ideals.

Similarly, the desire for power can masquerade as idealism. Champions of grand causes often find themselves in positions of influence over others: missionaries, revolutionaries, and reformers may honestly believe in their proclamations, but can also be motivated by the intoxicating opportunity to shape society according to their vision. Idealistic slogans, invoking freedom, justice, equality, become tools to rally support and suppress dissent, all while consolidating control. The relentless pursuit of one's vision, accompanied by a sense of moral certitude, can easily slip into authoritarianism if left critically unexamined.

Russell’s observation serves as a cautionary reminder that moral rhetoric should not be accepted at face value. Beneath noble appeals could be concealed hostility or an appetite for domination. Careful reflection and self-scrutiny are necessary, lest idealism become the means by which darker impulses advance under the guise of virtue.