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David Hume

Quote of David Hume - Reason is, and ought only to...


Biography - David Hume:

Scottish philosopher, historian and economist.
Born: 1711 - Died: 1776
Period:
18th century
Place of birth: United Kingdom
United Kingdom

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.


Note 

Note



"We speak not strictly and philosophically when we talk of the combat of passion and of reason. 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."


Quote source: A Treatise of Human Nature

Wikisource - Hume - Treatise of Human Nature (en) 




Translation

Translation

(German)



German
Die Vernunft ist nur ein Sklave der Affekte und soll es sein; sie darf niemals eine andere Funktion beanspruchen, als die, denselben zu dienen und zu gehorchen.




See also 

See also...






Quotes for: reason


Quotes

Quotes about reason:


Have courage to use your own reason!





Truth prevails only to the extent that we successfully assert it. The victory of reason can only be the victory of rational people.





There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.





The heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing.





Good sense is, of all things among men, the most equally distributed; for every one thinks himself so abundantly provided with it, that those even who are the most difficult to satisfy in everything else, do not usually desire a larger measure of this quality than they already possess. And in this it is not likely that all are mistaken: the conviction is rather to be held as testifying that the power of judging aright and of distinguishing truth from error, which is properly what is called good sense or reason, is by nature equal in all men; and that the diversity of our opinions, consequently, does not arise from some being endowed with a larger share of reason than others, but solely from this, that we conduct our thoughts along different ways, and do not fix our attention on the same objects. For to be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough; the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.





The weakness of human reason appears more evidently in those who know it not, than in those who know it.











Quotes for: passion


Quotes

Quotes about passion:


Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.





All men are liable to error and most men are, in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it.





Nothing great has ever been accomplished without passion.





The time at our disposal each day is elastic the passions we feel dilate it, those that inspire us shrink it, and habit fills it.





There is only one passion, the passion for happiness.





To grow old is to pass from passion to compassion.











Quotes

David Hume also said...


Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.





Though men be much governed by interest; yet even interest itself, and all human affairs, are entirely governed by opinion.





Nature is always too strong for principle.





Happy, if we can unite the boundaries of the different species of philosophy, by reconciling profound enquiry with clearness, and truth with novelty!





Good sense and genius beget esteem and regard: Wit and humour excite love and affection.





A propensity to hope and joy is real riches: One to fear and sorrow, real poverty.












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