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David Hume Quotes - Page 16

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Battles, revolutions, pestilence, famine, and death, are never the effect of those natural causes, which we experience. Prodigies,omens, oracles, judgments, quite obscure the few natural events, that are intermingled

Battles, revolutions, pestilence, famine, and death, are never the effect of those natural causes, which we experience. Prodigies,omens, oracles, judgments, quite obscure the few natural events, that are intermingled with them. But as the former grow thinner every pagewe soon learn, that there is nothing mysterious or supernatural in the case, but that all proceeds from the usual propensity of mankind towards the marvellous, and that, though this inclination may at intervals receive a check from sense and learning, it can never be thoroughly extirpated.

David Hume
Battle, Oracles, May

But would we know, whether the pretended prophet had really attained a just sentiment of morals? Let us attend to his narration; and we shall soon find, that he bestows praise on such instances of treachery, inhumanity, cruelty, revenge, bigotry, as are utterly incompatible with civilized society. No steady rule of right seems there to be attended to; and every action is blamed or praised, so far only as it is beneficial or hurtful to the true believers.

David Hume
Revenge, Islam, Hurtful
David Hume (1758). “Essays and Treatises on several subjects, etc. New edition”, p.135

Manufacturers...gradually shift their places, leaving those countries and provinces which they have already enriched, and flying to others, whether they are allured by the cheapness of provisions and labour.

David Hume
Country, Flying, Leaving

What praise is implied in the simple epithet useful! What reproach in the contrary.

David Hume
Simple, Praise, Epithet
David Hume (2010). “Moral and Political Philosophy”, p.262, Simon and Schuster

It seems to me, that the only Objects of the abstract Sciences or of Demonstration is Quantity and Number, and that all Attempts to extend this more perfect Species of Knowledge beyond these Bounds are mere Sophistry and Illusion.

David Hume
Knowledge, Science, Numbers
David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.1066, Delphi Classics

The many instances of forged miracles, and prophecies, and supernatural events, which, in all ages, have either been detected by contrary evidence, or which detect themselves by their absurdity, prove sufficiently the strong propensity of mankind to the extraordinary and marvellous, and ought reasonably to begat a suspicion against all relations of this kind.

David Hume
Religious, Strong, Miracle
David Hume (1861). “An Essay on Miracles. No. 10 of the “Philosophical Essays concerning Human Understanding.””, p.10

Convulsions in nature, disorders, prodigies, miracles, though the most opposite of the plan of a wise superintendent, impress mankind with the strongest sentiments of religion.

David Hume
Wise, Opposites, Miracle
David Hume (1957). “The Natural History of Religion”, p.42, Stanford University Press

[Rousseau] has not had the precaution to throw any veil over his sentiments; and as he scorns to dissemble his contempt of established opinions, he could not wonder that all the zealots were in arms against him.

David Hume
Veils, Arms, Opinion
David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.4460, Delphi Classics

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