I weigh the one miracle against the other and according to the superiority which I discover, I pronounce my decision.
DAVID HUMETo philosophers and historians, the madness and imbecile wickedness of mankind ought to appear ordinary events.
More David Hume Quotes
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Tis not unreasonable for me to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.
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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.
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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
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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.
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It is, therefore, a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.
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All sentiment is right; because sentiment has a reference to nothing beyond itself, and is always real, wherever a man is conscious of it.
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The fact that different cultures have different practices no more refutes [moral] objectivism than the fact that water flows in different directions in different places refutes the law of gravity.
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I never knew anyone, that examined and deliberated about nonsense, who did not believe it before the end of his enquiries.
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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.
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There is nothing to be learnt from a Professor, which is not to be met with in Books.
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Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.
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The gazing populace receive greedily, without examination, whatever soothes superstition and promotes wonder.
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He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper, but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to his circumstance.
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To philosophers and historians, the madness and imbecile wickedness of mankind ought to appear ordinary events.
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But the greatest part of mankind float between vice and virtue.
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What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call ‘thought’
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To be a philosophical Sceptic is the first and most essential step towards being a sound, believing Christian.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Liberty of any kind is never lost all at once
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How can we satisfy ourselves without going on in infinitum? And, after all, what satisfaction is there in that infinite progression?
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Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.
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Where am I, or what? From what causes do I derive my existence, and to what condition shall I return?
DAVID HUME -
It is difficult for a man to speak long of himself without vanity.
DAVID HUME