David Hume Quotes - Page 9

Quotes about:

Affairs Affection Age Agnosticism Ambition Appearance Arrogance

Accuracy is, in every case, advantageous to beauty, and just reasoning to delicate sentiment. In vain would we exalt the one by depreciating the other.

David Hume

Sentimental, Vain, Cases

David Hume (2012). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding”, p.4, Courier Corporation

10 Copy quote
The minds of men are mirrors to one another, not only because they reflect each other's emotions, but also because those rays of passions, sentiments and opinions may be often reverberated, and may decay away by insensible degrees.

David Hume

Passion, Men, Mirrors

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.152

4 Copy quote
Avarice, the spur of industry, is so obstinate a passion, and works its way through so many real dangers and difficulties, that it is not likely to be scared by an imaginary danger, which is so small, that it scarcely admits of calculation. Commerce, therefore, in my opinion, is apt to decay in absolute governments, not because it is there less secure, but because it is less honourable.

David Hume

Real, Passion, Government

'Essays' (1741-2) 'Of Civil Liberty'

9 Copy quote
It seems certain, that though a man, in a flush of humour, after intense reflection on the many contradictions and imperfections of human reason, may entirely renounce all belief and opinion, it is impossible for him to persevere in this total scepticism, or make it appear in his conduct for a few hours.

David Hume

Men, Reflection, Imperfection

David Hume, Peter Millican (2008). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding”, p.153, Oxford University Press

6 Copy quote
All morality depends upon our sentiments; and when any action or quality of the mind pleases us after a certain manner we say it is virtuous; and when the neglect or nonperformance of it displeases us after a like manner, we say that we lie under an obligation to perform it.

David Hume

Lying, Mind, Quality

David Hume (2010). “Moral and Political Philosophy”, p.142, Simon and Schuster

7 Copy quote
To have recourse to the veracity of the supreme Being, in order to prove the veracity of our senses, is surely making a very unexpected circuit.

David Hume

Order, Atheism, Unexpected

David Hume (1758). “Essays and Treatises on several subjects, etc. New edition”, p.368

6 Copy quote
The ages of greatest public spirit are not always eminent for private virtue.

David Hume

Age, Spirit, Virtue

David Hume (1870). “Essays, Literary, Moral, and Political”, p.20

7 Copy quote
.. 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

7 Copy quote
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”

7 Copy quote
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

5 Copy quote
Human happiness seems to consist in three ingredients; action, pleasure and indolence. And though these ingredients ought to be mixed in different proportions, according to the disposition of the person, yet no one ingredient can be entirely wanting without destroying in some measure the relish of the whole composition.

David Hume

Happiness, Different, Three

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.746, Delphi Classics

17 Copy quote
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

4 Copy quote
It forms a strong presumption against all supernatural and miraculous relations, that they are observed chiefly to abound among ignorant and barbarous nations; or if a civilized people has ever given admission to any of them, that people will be found to have received them from ignorant and barbarous ancestors.

David Hume

Strong, People, Ignorant

David Hume (1793). “Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects”, p.130

12 Copy quote
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

4 Copy quote
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

8 Copy quote
Nothing can be more unphilosophical than to be positive or dogmatical on any subject; and even if excessive scepticism could be maintained it would not be more destructive to all just reasoning and inquiry. When men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken, and have there given reins to passion, without that proper deliberation and suspense which can alone secure them from the grossest absurdities.

David Hume

Passion, Men, Being Positive

David Hume (2016). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: Revision of Great Book”, p.213, VM eBooks

8 Copy quote
Reason, in a strict sense, as meaning the judgment of truth and falsehood, can never, of itself, be any motive to the will, and can have no influence but so far as it touches some passion or affection. Abstract relations of ideas are the object of curiosity, not of volition. And matters of fact, where they are neither good nor evil, where they neither excite desire nor aversion, are totally indifferent, and whether known or unknown, whether mistaken or rightly apprehended, cannot be regarded as any motive to action.

David Hume

Truth, Passion, Ideas

David Hume, Tom L. Beauchamp (2007). “A Dissertation on the Passions: The Natural History of Religion : a Critical Edition”, p.24, Oxford University Press

7 Copy quote
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

6 Copy quote
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

8 Copy quote
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

11 Copy quote
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

7 Copy quote
An established government has an infinite advantage, by that very circumstance of its being established--the bulk of mankind being governed by authority, not reason, and never attributing authority to anything that has not the recommendation of antiquity.

David Hume

Government, Infinite, Reason

David Hume, Knud Haakonssen (1994). “Hume: Political Essays”, p.221, Cambridge University Press

13 Copy quote
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

7 Copy quote
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

13 Copy quote
What is easy and obvious is never valued; and even what is in itself difficult, if we come to knowledge of it without difficulty, and without and stretch of thought or judgment, is but little regarded.

David Hume

Motivation, Littles, Judgment

David Hume (2015). “A Treatise of Human Nature: Top Philosophy Collections”, p.335, 谷月社

6 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