David Hume
David Hume
David Hume– 25 August 1776) or David Homewas a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, who is best known today for his highly influential system of radical philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism...
NationalityScottish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth7 May 1711
determination light practice
Let us become thoroughly sensible of the weakness, blindness, and narrow limits of human reason: Let us duly consider its uncertainty and endless contrarieties, even in subjects of common life and practice.... When these topics are displayed in their full light, as they are by some philosophers and almost all divines; who can retain such confidence in this frail faculty of reason as to pay any regard to its determinations in points so sublime, so abstruse, so remote from common life and experience?
liars air giving
Poets themselves, tho' liars by profession, always endeavour to give an air of truth to their fictions...
truth honesty stronger
Nothing indeed can be a stronger presumption of falsehood than the approbation of the multitude.
nature philosophy imperfection
While Newton seemed to draw off the veil from some of the mysteries of nature, he showed at the same time the imperfections of the mechanical philosophy; and thereby restored her ultimate secrets to that obscurity, in which they ever did and ever will remain.
art philosophy political
And though the philosopher may live remote from business, the genius of philosophy, if carefully cultivated by several, must gradually diffuse itself throughout the whole society, and bestow a similar correctness on every art and calling.
men flames vanity
In a vain man, the smallest spark may kindle into the greatest flame, because the materials are always prepared for it.
life science men
The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.
empathy sullen apathy
In this sullen apathy neither true wisdom nor true happiness can be found.
ideas firsts events
The first ideas of religion arose, not from contemplation of the works of nature, but from a concern with regard to the events of life.
running blessing blood
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.
heart passion profound
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
perfect simplicity perception
What we call a mind is nothing but a heap or collection of different perceptions, united together by certain relations and supposed, though falsely, to be endowed with a perfect simplicity and identity.
philosophy passion slave
Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.
men differences words-of-wisdom
The difference between a man who is led by opinion or emotion and one who is led by reason. The former, whether he will or not, performs things of which he is entirely ignorant; the latter is subordinate to no one, and only does those things which he knows to be of primary importance in his life, and which on that account he desires the most; and therefore I call the former a slave, but the latter free.