David Hume Quotes - Page 10

Quotes about:

Affairs Affection Age Agnosticism Ambition Appearance Arrogance

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

7 Copy quote
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

9 Copy quote
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

13 Copy quote
Riches are valuable at all times, and to all men, because they always purchase pleasures such as men are accustomed to and desire; nor can anything restrain or regulate the love of money but a sense of honor and virtue, which, if it be not nearly equal at all times, will naturally abound most in ages of knowledge and refinement.

David Hume

Men, Honor, Age

David Hume (1809). “Essays and treatises on several subjects in two volumes: Essays, moral, political, and literacy”, p.293

11 Copy quote
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

7 Copy quote
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

7 Copy quote
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

6 Copy quote
It is a certain rule that wit and passion are entirely incompatible. When the affections are moved, there is no place for the imagination.

David Hume

Passion, Imagination, Affection

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.697, Delphi Classics

7 Copy quote
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

6 Copy quote
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

9 Copy quote
When I think of God, when I think of him as existent, and when I believe him to be existent, my idea of him neither increases nordiminishes. But as it is certain there is a great difference betwixt the simple conception of the existence of an object, and the belief of it, and as this difference lies not in the parts or composition of the idea which we conceive; it follows, that it must lie in the manner in which we conceive it.

David Hume

God, Lying, Believe

David Hume (2003). “A Treatise of Human Nature”, p.68, Courier Corporation

11 Copy quote
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

7 Copy quote
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

7 Copy quote
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

6 Copy quote
Nothing can be more real, or concern us more, than our own sentiments of pleasure and uneasiness; and if these be favourable to virtue and unfavourable to vice, no more can be requisite to the regulation of our conduct and behavior.

David Hume

Real, Philosophical, Vices

David Hume (1874). “A Treatise on Human Nature: Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning Into Moral Subjects; and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion”, p.245

6 Copy quote
Courage, of all national qualities, is the most precarious; because it is exerted only at intervals, and by a few in every nation; whereas industry, knowledge, civility, may be of constant and universal use, and for several ages, may become habitual to the whole people.

David Hume

Courage, People, Quality

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.706, Delphi Classics

5 Copy quote
We find in the course of nature that though the effects be many, the principles from which they arise are commonly few and simple, and that it is the sign of an unskilled naturalist to have recourse to a different quality in order to explain every different operation.

David Hume

Simple, Order, Words Of Wisdom

4 Copy quote
Among well bred people a mutual deference is affected, contempt for others is disguised; authority concealed; attention given to each in his turn; and an easy stream of conversation maintained without vehemence, without interruption, without eagerness for victory, and without any airs of superiority.

David Hume

Air, People, Victory

David Hume (1870). “Essays, Literary, Moral, and Political”, p.463

14 Copy quote
A too great disproportion among the citizens weakens any state. Every person, if possible, ought to enjoy the fruits of his labour, in a full possession of all the necessities, and many of the conveniences of life. No one can doubt, but such an equality is most suitable to human nature, and diminishes much less from the happiness of the rich than it adds to that of the poor.

David Hume

Political, Doubt, Add

David Hume (1817). “Philosophical Essays: On Morals, Literature, and Politics”, p.284

8 Copy quote
For as to the dispersing of Books, that Circumstance does perhaps as much harm as good: Since Nonsense flies with greater Celerity, and makes greater Impression than Reason; though indeed no particular species of Nonsense is so durable. But the several Forms of Nonsense never cease succeeding one another; and Men are always under the Dominion of some one or other, though nothing was ever equal in Absurdity and Wickedness to our present Patriotism.

David Hume

Book, Men, Wickedness

David Hume, J. Y. T. Greig (2011). “The Letters of David Hume:”, p.239, Oxford University Press, USA

7 Copy quote
When we reflect on our past sentiments and affections, our thought is a faithful mirror, and copies its objects truly; but the colours which it employs are faint and dull, in comparison of those in which our original perceptions were clothed.

David Hume

Past, Mirrors, Faithful

David Hume, Eric Steinberg (1992). “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.10, Hackett Publishing

7 Copy quote
'Tis certain that a serious attention to the sciences and liberal arts softens and humanizes the temper, and cherishes those fine emotions in which true virtue and honor consist. It rarely, very rarely happens that a man of taste and learning is not, at least, an honest man, whatever frailties may attend him.

David Hume

Art, Honesty, Science

9 Copy quote
In public affairs men are often better pleased that the truth, though known to everybody, should be wrapped up under a decent cover than if it were exposed in open daylight to the eyes of all the world.

David Hume

Eye, Men, World

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.1807, Delphi Classics

11 Copy quote
Jealousy is a painful passion; yet without some share of it, the agreeable affection of love has difficulty to subsist in its full force and violence.

David Hume

Jealousy, Passion, Violence

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.1298, Delphi Classics

8 Copy quote
Let us become thoroughly sensible of the weakness, blindness, and narrow limits of human reason: Let us duly consider its uncertainty and endless contrarieties, even in subjects of common life and practice.... When these topics are displayed in their full light, as they are by some philosophers and almost all divines; who can retain such confidence in this frail faculty of reason as to pay any regard to its determinations in points so sublime, so abstruse, so remote from common life and experience?

David Hume

Determination, Practice, Light

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.4014, Delphi Classics

9 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

George Berkeley

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Gottfried Leibniz

David Hume

Follow

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

Popular Topics