Selected Quotes by David Hume
David Hume- (May 7, 1711 – August 25, 1776) was a Scottish Enlightenment economist, essayist, historian, librarian and philosopher. He is best known today for his highly influential system of philosophical empiricism, naturalism and skepticism.
He strove to create a naturalistic science of man that examined the psychological basis of human nature beginning with "A Treatise of Human Nature" (1739–40). He argued against the existence of innate ideas. He posited that all human knowledge derives solely from experience. This places him with Francis Bacon, George Berkeley, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes as an Empiricist.
Quotes by David Hume:
“[R]evolutions of government cannot be effected by the mere force of argument and reasoning.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Government
“Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“We speak not strictly and philosophically when we talk of the combat of passion and of reason.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“A man who hides himself, confesses as evidently the superiority of his enemy, as another who fairly delivers his arms.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Courage
“Human Nature is the only science of man; and yet has been hitherto the most neglected.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“The identity that we ascribe to things is only a fictitious one, established by the mind, not a peculiar nature belonging to what we’re talking about.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“Tis not unreasonable for me to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Goals
“Judgments. A mistake, therefore, of right may become a species.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Mistakes
“The memory, senses, and understanding are, therefore, all of them founded on the imagination, or the vivacity of our ideas.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Ideas
“To hate, to love, to think, to feel, to see; all this is nothing but to perceive.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Goals
“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom, Belief
“Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.”
― ‘A Treatise Of Human Nature’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom, Belief
“Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.”
― ‘An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom, Goals
“Nature has pointed out a mixed kind of life as most suitable to the human race, and secretly admonished them to allow none of these biases to draw too much, so as to incapacitate them for other occupations and entertainments.”
― ‘An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding’.
David Hume, Nature, Life
“What would become of history, had we not a dependence on the veracity of the historian, according to the experience, what we have had of mankind?”
― ‘An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“Hypothetical liberty is allowed to everyone who is not a prisoner and in chains.”
― ‘An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding’.
David Hume, Freedom
“The feelings of our heart, the agitation of our passions, the vehemence of our affections, dissipate all its conclusions, and reduce the profound philosopher to a mere plebeian.”
― ‘An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“The Christian religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one.”
David Hume, Belief
“Heaven and Hell suppose two distinct species of men, the Good and the Bad. But the greatest part of mankind float betwixt vice and virtue.”
David Hume, Belief
“It is an absurdity to believe that the Deity has human passions, and one of the lowest of human passions, a restless appetite for applause.”
David Hume, Belief
“Superstition is an enemy to civil liberty.”
David Hume, Belief, Freedom
“No human testimony can have such force as to prove a miracle, and make it a just foundation for any such system of religion.”
David Hume, Belief
“Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, and Natural Religion, are in some measure dependent on the science of man; since they lie under the cognizance of men, and are judged of by their powers and faculties.”
David Hume, Science
“The great end of all human industry is the attainment of happiness.”
David Hume, Happiness
“It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.”
David Hume, Government
“To philosopher and historian the madness and imbecile wickedness of mankind ought to appear ordinary events.”
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to any circumstances.”
David Hume, Happiness
“It's when we start working together that the real healing takes place... it's when we start spilling our sweat, and not our blood.”
David Hume, Society
“Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; each mind perceives a different beauty.”
David Hume, Life
“Never literary attempt was more unfortunate than my 'Treatise Of Human Nature'. It fell dead-born from the press.”
David Hume, Art
“But such is the nature of the human mind, that it always lays hold on every mind that approaches it.”
― ‘Essays, Moral, Political, And Literary’.
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“Avarice, or the desire of gain, is a universal passion which operates at all times, at all places, and upon all persons.”
David Hume, Wealth
“When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities.”
David Hume, Mistakes, Arrogance
“Nothing is more surprising than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.”
David Hume, Government, Society
“The richest genius, like the most fertile soil, when uncultivated, shoots up into the rankest weeds.”
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call 'thought'.”
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“It is possible for the same thing both to be and not to be.”
David Hume, Life
“It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once.”
David Hume, Freedom
“There is no such thing as freedom of choice unless there is freedom to refuse.”
David Hume, Freedom
“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.”
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom
“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, Life
“How could politics be a science, if laws and forms of government had not a uniform influence upon society?”
David Hume, Government, Society
“Disbelief in futurity loosens in a great measure the ties of morality, and may be for that reason pernicious to the peace of civil society.”
David Hume, Society
“All the philosophy… in the world, and all the religion, which is nothing but a species of philosophy, will never be able to carry us beyond the usual course of experience.”
David Hume, Intelligence/Wisdom, Belief, Life
“Abstract relations of ideas are the object of curiosity, not of volition.”
David Hume, Ideas
“It is to restrain [others’] selfishness that men… distinguish between their own goods and those of others.”
David Hume, Life
“When the critic has no delicacy, he judges without any distinction, and is only affected by the grosser and more palpable qualities of the object.”
David Hume, Criticism
“Character is the result of a system of stereotyped principals.”
David Hume, Life
“Let these generous sentiments be supposed ever so weak; let them be insufficient to move even a hand or finger of our body.”
David Hume, Life
“The greater part of mankind may be divided into two classes; that of shallow thinkers who fall short of the truth; and that of abstruse thinkers who go beyond it.”
David Hume, Society
“When we reflect on the shortness and uncertainty of life, how despicable seem all our pursuits of happiness.”
David Hume, Life, Happiness
“The heights of popularity and patriotism are still the beaten road to power and tyranny.”
David Hume, Power
“Reading and sauntering and lounging and dosing, which I call thinking, is my supreme happiness.”
David Hume, Happiness, Intelligence/Wisdom
“But the life of a man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.”
David Hume, Life
“A purpose, an intention, a design, strikes everywhere even the careless, the most stupid thinker.”
David Hume, Goals
“The truth springs from arguments amongst friends.”
David Hume, Truth, Friendship
“A propensity to hope and joy is real riches; one to fear and sorrow, real poverty.”