David Hume Quotes - Page 10

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.. that which renders morality an active principle and constitutes virtue our happiness, and vice our misery: it is probable, I say, that this final sentence depends on some internal sense or feeling, which nature has made universal in the whole species.

David Hume

Feelings, Vices, Principles

David Hume, Tom L. Beauchamp (2006). “An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals: A Critical Edition”, p.5, Oxford University Press

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I know with certainty, that [an honest man] is not to put his hand into the fire, and hold it there, till it be consumed: And thisevent, I think I can foretell with the same assurance, as that, if he throw himself out at the window, and meet with no obstruction, he will not remain a moment suspended in the air.

David Hume

Men, Thinking, Fire

David Hume (1894). “An Enquiry Concerning the Human Understanding: And An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals”

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What peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call thought, that we must thus make it the model of the whole universe? Our partiality in our own favour does indeed present it on all occasions; but sound philosophy ought carefully to guard against so natural an illusion.

David Hume

Philosophy, Brain, Sound

David Hume (1824). “The Philosophical Works of David Hume ... Containing Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Essays on the Immortality of the Soul, Suicide ... &c. A New Edition”, p.24

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There is only one vice, which may be found in life with as strong features, and as high a colouring as needs be employed by any satyrist or comic poet; and that is AVARICE.

David Hume

Strong, Color, Vices

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.923, Delphi Classics

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No conclusions can be more agreeable to scepticism than such as make discoveries concerning the weakness and narrow limits of human reason and capacity.

David Hume

Discovery, Weakness, Limits

David Hume, Eric Steinberg (1993). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding ; [with] A Letter from a Gentleman to His Friend in Edinburgh ; [and] An Abstract of a Treatise of Human Nature”, p.51, Hackett Publishing

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Though men of delicate taste be rare, they are easily to be distinguished in society by the soundness of their understanding, and the superiority of their faculties above the rest of mankind.

David Hume

Men, Understanding, Culture

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.1314, Delphi Classics

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Absolute monarchy,... is the easiest death, the true Euthanasia of the BRITISH constitution.

David Hume

Death, Constitution, Euthanasia

David Hume (1862). “Essays moral, political, and literary. (Life of the author, etc.).”, p.32

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Nothing is pure and entire of a piece. All advantages are attended with disadvantages. A universal compensation prevails in all conditions of being and existence.

David Hume

Pieces, Advantage, Existence

David Hume (1870). “Essays, Literary, Moral, and Political”, p.552

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The forming of general maxims from particular observation is a very nice operation; and nothing is more usual, from haste or a narrowness of mind, which sees not on all sides, than to commit mistakes in this particular.

David Hume

Mistake, Nice, Mind

David Hume, Eric Steinberg (1993). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding ; [with] A Letter from a Gentleman to His Friend in Edinburgh ; [and] An Abstract of a Treatise of Human Nature”, p.71, Hackett Publishing

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How could politics be a science, if laws and forms of government had not a uniform influence upon society? Where would be the foundation of morals, if particular characters had no certain or determinate power to produce particular sentiments, and if these sentiments had no constant operation on actions?

David Hume

Character, Law, Government

David Hume (1875). “Essays Moral, Political, and Literary”, p.73

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Liberty is a blessing so inestimable, that, wherever there appears any probability of recovering it, a nation may willingly run many hazards, and ought not even to repine at the greatest effusion of blood or dissipation of treasure.

David Hume

Running, Blessing, Blood

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.874, Delphi Classics

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Curiosity, or the love of knowledge, has a very limited influence, and requires youth, leisure education, genius and example to make it govern any person

David Hume

Curiosity, Example, Genius

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.642, Delphi Classics

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Barbarity, caprice; these qualities, however nominally disguised, we may universally observe from the ruling character of the deity in all regular religions.

David Hume

Religious, Character, Evil

David Hume (1793). “An inquiry concerning human understanding. A dissertation on the passions. An inquiry concerning the principles of morals. The natural history of religion”, p.467

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The best taxes are such as are levied upon consumptions, especially those of luxury; because such taxes are least felt by the people. They seem, in some measure, voluntary; since a man may choose how far he will use the commodity: They naturally produce sobriety and frugality, if judiciously imposed: And being confounded with the natural price of the commodity, they are scarcely perceived by the consumers. Their only disadvantage is that they are expensive in the levying.

David Hume

Men, Luxury, People

David Hume (1826). “The philosophical works of David Hume”, p.387

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But it is a miracle that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country.

David Hume

Country, Men, Miracle

David Hume (2012). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding”, p.123, tredition

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Delicacy of taste has the same effect as delicacy of passion; it enlarges the sphere both of our happiness and our misery.

David Hume

Passion, Delicacy, Taste

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.578, Delphi Classics

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A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined.

David Hume

Law, Miracle, Facts

David Hume (1875). “Essays Moral, Political, and Literary”, p.93

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Mankind are always found prodigal both of blood and treasure in the maintenance of public justice.

David Hume

Blood, Justice, Maintenance

David Hume (1825). “Essays and treatises on several subjects: essays, moral, political and literary”, p.28

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If morality had naturally no influence on human passions and actions, it were in vain to take such pains to inculcate it; and nothing would be more fruitless than that multitude of rules and precepts with which all moralists abound.

David Hume

Pain, Passion, Would Be

David Hume (2016). “A Treatise of Human Nature: Revision of Great Book”, p.425, VM eBooks

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On the theory of the soul's mortality, the inferiority of women's capacity is easily accounted for: Their domestic life requires no higher faculties either of mind or body. This circumstance vanishes and becomes absolutely insignificant, on the religious theory: The one sex has an equal task to perform as the other: Their powers of reason and resolution ought also to have been equal, and both of them infinitely greater than at present.

David Hume

Religious, Sex, Women

David Hume, Richard H. Popkin (1998). “Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (Second Edition)”, p.93, Hackett Publishing

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It affords a violent prejudice against almost every science, that no prudent man, however sure of his principles, dares prophesy concerning any event, or foretell the remote consequences of things.

David Hume

Men, Principles, Events

David Hume (1825). “Essays and treatises on several subjects: essays, moral, political and literary”, p.42

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Were a man, whom I know to be honest and opulent, and with whom I live in intimate friendship, to come into my house, where I am surrounded with my servants, I rest assured, that he is not to stab me before he leaves it, in order to rob me of my silver standish; and I no more suspect this event, than the falling of the house itself which is new, and solidly built and founded.--But he may have been seized with a sudden and unknown frenzy.--So may a sudden earthquake arise, and shake and tumble my house about my ears.

David Hume

Honesty, Fall, Men

David Hume, Tom L. Beauchamp (2000). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: A Critical Edition”, p.69, Oxford University Press

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The more tremendous the divinity is represented, the more tame and submissive do men become his ministers: And the more unaccountable the measures of acceptance required by him, the more necessary does it become to abandon our natural reason, and yield to their ghostly guidance and direction.

David Hume

Acceptance, Men, Yield

David Hume (1957). “The Natural History of Religion”, p.73, Stanford University Press

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It is... a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.

David Hume

Men, Political, Politics

David Hume (1825). “Essays and treatises on several subjects: essays, moral, political and literary”, p.37

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To consider the matter aright, reason is nothing but a wonderful and unintelligible instinct in our souls, which carries us along a certain train of ideas, and endows them with particular qualities, according to their particular situations and relations. This instinct, 'tis true, arises from past observation and experience; but can anyone give the ultimate reason, why past experience and observation produces such an effect, any more than why nature alone should produce it?

David Hume

Nature, Science, Past

David Hume (2003). “A Treatise of Human Nature”, p.128, Courier Corporation

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Born: May 7, 1711
Died: August 25, 1776
Occupation: Philosopher
Cite this Page: Citation

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