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David Hume Quotes - Page 12

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It is more rational to suspect knavery and folly than to discount, at a stroke, everything that past experience has taught me about the way things actually work

It is more rational to suspect knavery and folly than to discount, at a stroke, everything that past experience has taught me about the way things actually work

Past, Knavery, Way

Tho' there be no such Thing as Chance in the World; our Ignorance of the real Ccause of any Event has the same Influence on the Understanding, and begets a like Species of Belief or Opinion.

Real, Ignorance, Science

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Section VI (p. 37)

The observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours to elude or avoid it.

Philosophy, Weakness, Elude

David Hume (1861). “Philosophical Essays concerning Human Understanding ... Second edition. With additions and corrections”, p.20

In the sphere of natural investigation, as in poetry and painting, the delineation of that which appeals most strongly to the imagination, derives its collective interest from the vivid truthfulness with which the individual features are portrayed.

Imagination, Vivid, Spheres

Methinks I am like a man, who having struck on many shoals, and having narrowly escap'd shipwreck in passing a small frith, has yet the temerity to put out to sea in the same leaky weather-beaten vessel, and even carries his ambition so far as to think of compassing the globe under these disadvantageous circumstances.

Ambition, Men, Thinking

David Hume (2016). “A Treatise of Human Nature: Revision of Great Book”, p.248, VM eBooks

Between married persons, the cement of friendship is by the laws supposed so strong as to abolish all division of possessions: andhas often, in reality, the force ascribed to it.

Friendship, Marriage, Strong

David Hume (1793). “Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects”, p.246

It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger. It is not contrary to reason for me to choose my total ruin, to prevent the least uneasiness of an Indian, or person wholly unknown to me. It is as little contrary to reason to prefer even my own acknowledged lesser good to my greater, and have a more ardent affection for the former than the latter.

World, Littles, Ruins

A Treatise upon Human Nature bk. 2 (1739)

We need only reflect on what has been prov'd at large, that we are never sensible of any connexion betwixt causes and effects, and that 'tis only by our experience of their constant conjunction, we can arrive at any knowledge of this relation.

Knowledge, Science, Needs

David Hume (2003). “A Treatise of Human Nature”, p.176, Courier Corporation

Interest is the barometer of the state.

States, Barometer, Interest

David Hume (1870). “Essays, Literary, Moral, and Political”, p.181

The slaving Poor are incapable of any Principles: Gentlemen may be converted to true Principles, by Time and Experience. The middling Rank of Men have Curiosity and Knowledge enough to form Principles, but not enough to form true ones, or correct any Prejudices that they may have imbib'd: And 'tis among the middling Rank, that Tory Principles do at present prevail most in England.

Men, Gentleman, Curiosity

David Hume (1826). “The philosophical works of David Hume”, p.80

The more instances we examine, and the more care we employ, the more assurance shall we acquire, that the enumeration, which we form from the whole, is complete and entire.

Care, Form, Assurance

David Hume (2012). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding”, p.28, tredition

Nothing is demonstrable, unless the contrary implies a contradiction. Nothing, that is distinctly conceivable, implies a contradiction. Whatever we conceive as existent, we can also conceive as non-existent. There is no being, therefore, whose non-existence implies a contradiction. Consequently there is no being, whose existence is demonstrable.

Death, Afterlife, Being There

David Hume (2005). “Dialogues sur la religion naturelle”, p.244, Vrin

of the world and drudgery of business , seeks a pretense of reason to give itself a full and uncontrolled indulgence.

Giving, World, Reason

John Locke, George Berkeley, David Hume (2013). “The Empiricists: Locke: Concerning Human Understanding; Berkeley: Principles of Human Knowledge & 3 Dialogues; Hume: Concerning Human Understanding & Concerning Natural Religio”, p.334, Anchor

There is a very remarkable inclination in human nature to bestow on external objects the same emotions which it observes in itself, and to find every where those ideas which are most present to it.

Ideas, Emotion, Human Nature

David Hume (2015). “A Treatise of Human Nature: Top Philosophy Collections”, p.175, 谷月社

Do you come to a philosopher as to a cunning man, to learn something by magic or witchcraft, beyond what can be known by common prudence and discretion?

Philosophical, Men, Magic

David Hume (1817). “Philosophical Essays: On Morals, Literature, and Politics”, p.181

Art may make a suite of clothes, but nature must produce a man.

Art, Nature, Men

1741-2 Essays Moral, Political and Literary,'The Epicurean'.

[The sceptic] must acknowledge, if he will acknowledge any thing, that all human life must perish, were his principles to prevail.All discourse, all action would immediately cease, and men remain in a total lethargy, till the necessities of nature, unsatisfied, put an end to their miserable existence.

Men, Principles, Action

David Hume (1788). “An inquiry concerning human understanding. A dissertation on the passions. An inquiry concerning the principles of morals. The natural history of religion”, p.162

A CAUSE is an object precedent and contiguous to another, and so united with it that the idea of the one determines the mind to form the idea of the other, and the impression of the one to form a more lively idea of the other.

Ideas, Mind, Causes

David Hume (2017). “A Treatise of Human Nature”, p.238, BookRix

There surely is a being who presides over the universe; and who, with infinite wisdom and power, has reduced the jarring elementsinto just order and proportion. Let speculative reasoners dispute, how far this beneficent being extends his care, and whether he prolongs our existence beyond the grave, in order to bestow on virtue its just reward, and render it fully triumphant.

God, Order, Rewards

David Hume, Stephen Copley, Andrew Edgar (2008). “Selected Essays”, p.91, Oxford University Press

The stability of modern governments above the ancient, and the accuracy of modern philosophy, have improved, and probably will still improve, by similar gradations.

Philosophy, Government, Ancient

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.963, Delphi Classics

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.

Religious, Sex, Women

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

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

Curiosity, Example, Genius

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

..when, in my philosophical disquisitions, I deny a providence and a future state, I undermine not the foundations of society, but advance principles, which they themselves, upon their own topics, if they argue consistently, must allow to be solid and satisfactory.

Philosophical, Atheism, Foundation

David Hume (1758). “Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects”, p.358

It must appear impossible, that theism could, from reasoning, have been the primary religion of human race, and have afterwards, by its corruption, given birth to polytheism and to all the various superstitions of the heathen world. Reason, when obvious, prevents these corruptions: When abstruse, it keeps the principles entirely from the knowledge of the vulgar, who are alone liable to corrupt any principle or opinion.

Race, Principles, World

David Hume (2016). “The Natural History of Religion: Revision of Great Book”, p.5, VM eBooks

Where ambition can cover its enterprises, even to the person himself, under the appearance of principle, it is the most incurable and inflexible of passions

Passion, Ambition, Principles

David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.1534, Delphi Classics

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