David Hume Quotes About Mankind

Quotes about: Mankind

• 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

  Men, Two, Heaven

  David Hume (1824). “The Philosophical Works of David Hume ... Containing Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Essays on the Immortality of the Soul, Suicide ... &c. A New Edition”, p.118

• The sweetest path of life leads through the avenues of learning, and whoever can open up the way for another, ought, so far, to be esteemed a benefactor to mankind.

  David Hume

  Life, Learning, Way

• Mankind are so much the same, in all times and places, that history informs us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature.

  David Hume

  History, Principles, Use

  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.90

• Justice is a moral virtue, merely because it has that tendency to the good of mankind, and indeed is nothing but an artificial invention to that purpose. The same may be said of allegiance, of the laws of nations, of modesty, and of good manners. All these are mere human contrivances for the interest of society.

  David Hume

  Law, Justice, Good Man

  David Hume (2015). “A Treatise of Human Nature”, p.984, David Hume

• I may venture to affirm the rest of mankind, that they are nothing but a bundle or collection of different perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement.

  David Hume

  Perception, Different, Movement

  David Hume, Thom Chittom (2004). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: And Selections from a Treatise of Human Nature”, p.200, Barnes & Noble Publishing

• 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

  Fall, Class, Two

  David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.735, Delphi Classics

• It is certain that the easy and obvious philosophy will always, with the generality of mankind, have preference above the accurate.

  David Hume

  Philosophy, Easy, Certain

  David Hume, Tom L. Beauchamp (2000). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: A Critical Edition”, p.6, Oxford University Press

• In all determinations of morality, this circumstance of public utility is ever principally in view; and wherever disputes arise, either in philosophy or common life, concerning the bounds of duty, the questions cannot, by any means, be decided with greater certainty, than by ascertaining, on any side, the true interests of mankind. If any false opinion, embraced from appearances, has been found to prevail; as soon as farther experience and sounder reasoning have given us juster notions of human affairs, we retract our first sentiment, and adjust anew the boundaries of moral good and evil.

  David Hume

  Determination, Philosophy, Mean

  David Hume (2010). “Moral and Political Philosophy”, p.221, Simon and Schuster

• 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

• To philosopher and historian the madness and imbecile wickedness of mankind ought to appear ordinary events.

  David Hume

  Stupidity, Events, Ordinary

• 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

• Eloquence, when at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection; but addressing itself entirely to the fancy or the affections, captivates the willing hearers, and subdues their understanding. Happily, this pitch it seldom attains. But what a Tully or a Demosthenes could scarcely effect over a Roman or Athenian audience, every Capuchin, every itinerant or stationary teacher can perform over the generality of mankind, and in a higher degree, by touching such gross and vulgar passions.

  David Hume

  Teacher, Passion, Reflection

  David Hume (2012). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding”, p.127, tredition

• The sceptics assert, though absurdly, that the origin of all religious worship was derived from the utility of inanimate objects,as the sun and moon, to the support and well-being of mankind.

  David Hume

  Religious, Moon, Support

  David Hume (2013). “An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals”, p.11, Simon and Schuster

• 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

• The heroes in paganism correspond exactly to the saints in popery, and holy dervises in MAHOMETANISM. The place of, HERCULES, THESEUS, HECTOR, ROMULUS, is now supplied by DOMINIC, FRANCIS, ANTHONY, and BENEDICT. Instead of the destruction of monsters, the subduing of tyrants, the defence of our native country; whippings and fastings, cowardice and humility, abject submission and slavish obedience, are become the means of obtaining celestial honours among mankind.

  David Hume

  Country, Hero, Mean

  David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.1245, Delphi Classics

• I shall venture to affirm, that there never was a popular religion, which represented the state of departed souls in such a light,as would render it eligible for human kind, that there should be such a state. These fine models of religion are the mere product of philosophy. For as death lies between the eye and the prospect of futurity, that event is so shocking to nature, that it must throw a gloom on all the regions which lie beyond it; and suggest to the generality of mankind the idea of Cerberus and Furies; devils, and torrents of fire and brimstone.

  David Hume

  Death, Lying, Philosophy

  David Hume, John Charles Addison Gaskin (1998). “Dialogues and Natural History of Religion”, p.127, Oxford University Press, USA

• 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?

  David Hume

  Mankind, Historian, Veracity

  David Hume (2013). “Essays and Treatises on Philosophical Subjects”, p.146, Broadview Press

• Heroism, or military glory, is much admired by the generality of mankind. They consider it as the most sublime kind of merit. Menof cool reflection are not so sanguine in their praises of it.

  David Hume

  Military, Reflection, Sublime

  David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.521, Delphi Classics

• If refined sense, and exalted sense, be not so useful as common sense, their rarity, their novelty, and the nobleness of their objects, make some compensation, and render them the admiration of mankind.

  David Hume

  Common Sense, Novelty, Admiration

  David Hume, J. B. Schneewind (1983). “An Enquiry Concerning The Principles of Morals”, p.56, Hackett Publishing

• 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

• 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

• 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

• There is an universal tendency among mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object, those qualities, with which they are familiarly acquainted, and of which they are intimately conscious. We find human faces in the moon, armies in the clouds; and by a natural propensity, if not corrected by experience and reflection, ascribe malice or good-will to every thing, that hurts or pleases us.

  David Hume

  Hurt, Army, Moon

  David Hume (1957). “The Natural History of Religion”, p.29, Stanford University Press

• ...virtue is attended by more peace of mind than vice, and meets with a more favourable reception from the world. I am sensible, that, according to the past experience of mankind, friendship is the chief joy of human life and moderation the only source of tranquillity and happiness.

  David Hume

  Past, Joy, Mind

  David Hume, Peter Millican (2008). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding”, p.102, Oxford University Press

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