David Hume - An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

MORAL philosophy, or the science of human nature,may be treated after two different manners; each of which has its peculiar merit, and may contribute to theentertainment, instruction, and reformation of mankind.The one considers man chiefly as born for action; and asinfluenced in his measures by taste and sentiment;pursuing one object, and avoiding another, according tothe value which these objects seem to possess, andaccording to the light in which they present themselves.As virtue, of all objects, is allowed to be the mostvaluable, this species of philosophers paint her in themost amiable colours; borrowing all helps from poetryand eloquence, and treating their subject in an easy andobvious manner, and such as is best fitted to please theimagination, and engage the affections. They select themost striking observations and instances from commonlife; place opposite characters in a proper contrast; andalluring us into the paths of virtue by the views of gloryand happiness, direct our steps in these paths by thesoundest precepts and most illustrious examples. Theymake us feel the difference between vice and virtue;they excite and regulate our sentiments; and so theycan but bend our hearts to the love of probity and truehonour, they think, that they have fully attained the endof all their labours.The other species of philosophers consider man in thelight of a reasonable rather than an active being, andendeavour to form his understanding more thancultivate his manners. They regard human nature as asubject of speculation; and with a narrow scrutinyexamine it, in order to find those principles, whichregulate our understanding, excite our sentiments, andmake us approve or blame any particular object, action,or behaviour. They think it a reproach to all literature,that philosophy should not yet have fixed, beyondcontroversy, the foundation of morals, reasoning, andcriticism; and should for ever talk of truth andfalsehood, vice and virtue, beauty and deformity,without being able to determine the source of thesedistinctions. While they attempt this arduous task, theyare deterred by no difficulties; but proceeding fromparticular instances to general principles, they still pushon their enquiries to principles more general, and restnot satisfied till they arrive at those original principles,by which, in every science, all human curiosity must bebounded. Though their speculations seem abstract, andeven unintelligible to common readers, they aim at theapprobation of the learned and the wise; and thinkthemselves sufficiently compensated for the labour of their whole lives, if they can discover some hiddentruths, which may contribute to the instruction of posterity.It is certain that the easy and obvious philosophy willalways, with the generality of mankind, have thepreference above the accurate and abstruse; and bymany will be recommended, not only as moreagreeable, but more useful than the other. It entersmore into common life; moulds the heart andaffections; and, by touching those principles whichactuate men, reforms their conduct, and brings themnearer to that model of perfection which it describes.On the contrary, the abstruse philosophy, beingfounded on a turn of mind, which cannot enter intobusiness and action, vanishes when the philosopherleaves the shade, and comes into open day; nor can itsprinciples easily retain any influence over our conductand behaviour. The feelings of our heart, the agitationof our passions, the vehemence of our affections,dissipate all its conclusions, and reduce the profoundphilosopher to a mere plebeian.This also must be confessed, that the most durable, aswell as justest fame, has been acquired by the easyphilosophy, and that abstract reasoners seem hithertoto have enjoyed only a momentary reputation, from thecaprice or ignorance of their own age, but have notbeen able to support their renown with more equitableposterity. It is easy for a profound philosopher tocommit a mistake in his subtile reasonings; and onemistake is the necessary parent of another, while hepushes on his consequences, and is not deterred fromembracing any conclusion, by its unusual appearance, orits contradiction to popular opinion. But a philosopher,who purposes only to represent the common sense of mankind in more beautiful and more engaging colours,if by accident he falls into error, goes no farther; butrenewing his appeal to common sense, and the naturalsentiments of the mind, returns into the right path, andsecures himself from any dangerous illusions. The fameof Cicero flourishes at present; but that of Aristotle isutterly decayed. La Bruyere passes the seas, and stillmaintains his reputation: but the glory of Malebrancheis confined to his own nation, and to his own age. AndAddison, perhaps, will be read with pleasure, whenLocke shall be entirely forgotten.

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The mere philosopher is a character, which is commonlybut little acceptable in the world, as being supposed tocontribute nothing either to the advantage or pleasureof society; while he lives remote from communicationwith mankind, and is wrapped up in principles andnotions equally remote from their comprehension. Onthe other hand, the mere ignorant is still more despised;nor is any thing deemed a surer sign of an illiberalgenius in an age and nation where the sciences flourish,than to be entirely destitute of all relish for those nobleentertainments. The most perfect character is supposedto lie between those extremes; retaining an equal abilityand taste for books, company, and business; preservingin conversation that discernment and delicacy whicharise from polite letters; and in business, that probityand accuracy which are the natural result of a justphilosophy. In order to diffuse and cultivate soaccomplished a character, nothing can be more usefulthan compositions of the easy style and manner, whichdraw not too much from life, require no deepapplication or retreat to be comprehended, and sendback the student among mankind full of noblesentiments and wise precepts, applicable to everyexigence of human life. By means of such compositions,virtue becomes amiable, science agreeable, companyinstructive, and retirement entertaining.Man is a reasonable being; and as such, receives fromscience his proper food and nourishment: But so narroware the bounds of human understanding, that littlesatisfaction can be hoped for in this particular, eitherfrom the extent of security or his acquisitions. Man is asociable, no less than a reasonable being: but neithercan he always enjoy company agreeable and amusing,or preserve the proper relish for them. Man is also anactive being; and from that disposition, as well as fromthe various necessities of human life, must submit tobusiness and occupation: but the mind requires somerelaxation, and cannot always support its bent to careand industry. It seems, then, that nature has pointed outa mixed kind of life as most suitable to the human race,and secretly admonished them to allow none of thesebiases to draw too much, so as to incapacitate them forother occupations and entertainments. Indulge yourpassion for science, says she, but let your science behuman, and such as may have a direct reference toaction and society. Abstruse thought and profoundresearches I prohibit, and will severely punish, by thepensive melancholy which they introduce, by theendless uncertainty in which they involve you, and bythe cold reception which your pretended discoveriesshall meet with, when communicated. Be a philosopher;but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man.Were the generality of mankind contented to prefer theeasy philosophy to the abstract and profound, withoutthrowing any blame or contempt on the latter, it mightnot be improper, perhaps, to comply with this generalopinion, and allow every man to enjoy, withoutopposition, his own taste and sentiment. But as thematter is often carried farther, even to the absoluterejecting of all profound reasonings, or what iscommonly called metaphysics, we shall now proceed toconsider what can reasonably be pleaded in their behalf.We may begin with observing, that one considerableadvantage, which results from the accurate and abstractphilosophy, is, its subserviency to the easy and humane;which, without the former, can never attain a sufficientdegree of exactness in its sentiments, precepts, orreasonings. All polite letters are nothing but pictures of human life in various attitudes and situations; andinspire us with different sentiments, of praise or blame,admiration or ridicule, according to the qualities of theobject, which they set before us. An artist must bebetter qualified to succeed in this undertaking, who,besides a delicate taste and a quick apprehension,possesses an accurate knowledge of the internal fabric,the operations of the understanding, the workings of the passions, and the various species of sentimentwhich discriminate vice and virtue. How painful soeverthis inward search or enquiry may appear, it becomes,in some measure, requisite to those, who woulddescribe with success the obvious and outwardappearances of life and manners. The anatomistpresents to the eye the most hideous and disagreeableobjects; but his science is useful to the painter indelineating even a Venus or an Helen. While the latteremploys all the richest colours of his art, and gives hisfigures the most graceful and engaging airs; he must stillcarry his attention to the inward structure of the humanbody, the position of the muscles, the fabric of thebones, and the use and figure of every part or organ.Accuracy is, in every case, advantageous to beauty, and just reasoning to delicate sentiment. In vain would weexalt the one by depreciating the other.Besides, we may observe, in every art or profession,even those which most concern life or action, that aspirit of accuracy, however acquired, carries all of themnearer their perfection, and renders them moresubservient to the interests of society. And though aphilosopher may live remote from business, the genius