We make allowance for a certain degree of selfishness in men; because we know it to be inseparable from human nature, and inherent in our frame and constitution. By this reflexion we correct those sentiments of blame, which so naturally arise upon any opposition.

David Hume

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Any pride or haughtiness, is displeasing to us, merely because it shocks our own pride, and leads us by sympathy into comparison, which causes the disagreeable passion of humility.
DAVID HUME

Compare Haunt Passion Philosophy Pride Sympathy
But the life of a man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.
DAVID HUME

Animal Deep Great Important Life Man Philosophy Universe
To be a philosophical Sceptic is the first and most essential step towards being a sound, believing Christian.
DAVID HUME

Believe History Philosophy Religious
It is difficult for a man to speak long of himself without vanity.
DAVID HUME

Difficult Man Philosophy Speak
Revolutions of government cannot be effected by the mere force of argument and reasoning.
DAVID HUME

Argument Force Government Politics Revolution
The truth springs from arguments amongst friends.
DAVID HUME

Argument Friendship One Liner Season Truth
Epicurus’s old questions are still unanswered: Is he (God) willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? then whence evil?
DAVID HUME

Answer Deep Evil Old Question
Heaven and Hell suppose two distinct species of men, the good and bad.
DAVID HUME

Bad Deep Good Heaven Hell Man Philosophy Religious
What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call ‘thought’
DAVID HUME

Brain Philosophy Privilege Thought
It is possible for the same thing both to be and not to be.
DAVID HUME

Deep Philosophy Possible Thing
Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty.
DAVID HUME

Beautiful Different Exist Mind Philosophy Quality Thing
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.
DAVID HUME

Affection Feeling Heart Passion Philosophy
No man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping.
DAVID HUME

Life Man Worth
A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature.
DAVID HUME

Law Miracle Nature One Liner
As every inquiry which regards religion is of the utmost importance, there are two questions in particular which challenge our attention, to wit, that concerning its foundation in reason, and that concerning it origin in human nature.
DAVID HUME

Attention Challenge Deep Foundation Human Important Philosophy Reason Religious
Nothing is more usual than for philosophers to encroach upon the province of grammarians; and to engage in disputes of words, while they imagine that they are handling controversies of the deepest importance and concern
DAVID HUME

Deep Imagination Important Philosophy War Word
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.
DAVID HUME

Fiction Identity Mind Nature Talk Thing
I never knew anyone, that examined and deliberated about nonsense, who did not believe it before the end of his enquiries.
DAVID HUME

Believe Deep Examine Philosophy
I weigh the one miracle against the other and according to the superiority which I discover, I pronounce my decision.
DAVID HUME

Decision Discover Miracle Myself Pronounce Weight
The bigotry of theologians is a malady which seems almost incurable.
DAVID HUME

Cure Philosophy
A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence.
DAVID HUME

Believe Evidence Man One Liner Wise
When suicide is out of fashion we conclude that none but madmen destroy themselves.
DAVID HUME

Death Destroy Mental
All knowledge degenerates into probability.
DAVID HUME

Knowledge One Liner
There is nothing to be learnt from a Professor, which is not to be met with in Books.
DAVID HUME

Book Deep Learning Philosophy
It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.
DAVID HUME

Man Philosophy Politics
Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.
DAVID HUME

Obey Passion Reason Serve Slave
The victory is not gained by the men at arms, who manage the pike and the sword; but by the trumpeters, drummers, and musicians of the army.
DAVID HUME

Gain Man Music Victory War
no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact, which it endeavors to establish.
DAVID HUME

Deep Establish False Kind Miracle Philosophy Sufficient
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

Alone Arrogant Man Mistake Passion Secure
I may venture to affirm of 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

Different Man Perspective Success
Carelessness and in-attention alone can afford us any remedy. For this reason I rely entirely upon them.
DAVID HUME

Afford Alone Attention Care Reason
The Crusades – the most signal and most durable monument of human folly that has yet appeared in any age or nation.
DAVID HUME

Age Appear Human Monument Nation
Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.
DAVID HUME

Deep Man Philosophy
A purpose, an intention, a design, strikes everywhere even the careless, the most stupid thinker.
DAVID HUME

Care Design Purpose Stupidity Think
Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them
DAVID HUME

Beauty Contemplate Exist Mind Thing
Reading and sauntering and lounging and dosing, which I call thinking, is my supreme Happiness.
DAVID HUME

Happiness Read Think
He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper, but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to his circumstance.
DAVID HUME

Excellent Happiness Himself Philosophy Situation Temper
If subjects must never resist, it follows that every prince, without any effort, policy, or violence, is at once rendered absolute and uncontrollable.
DAVID HUME

Effort Follow Philosophy Resist Violence
We should never know how to adjust means to ends, or to employ our natural powers in the production of any effect. There would be an end at once of all action, as well as of the chief part of speculation.
DAVID HUME

Action End Philosophy Power Product
The science of man is the only solid foundation for the other sciences.
DAVID HUME

Foundation Man Science

We make allowance for a certain degree of selfishness in men; because we know it to be inseparable from human nature, and inherent in our frame and constitution. By this reflexion we correct those sentiments of blame, which so naturally arise upon any opposition.

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We make allowance for a certain degree of selfishness in men; because we know it to be inseparable from human nature, and inherent in our frame and constitution. By this reflexion we correct those sentiments of blame, which so naturally arise upon any opposition.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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