David Hume Quotes

Nothing is more dangerous to reason than the flights of the imagination and nothing has been the occasion of more mistakes among philosophers.

Anticipation of pleasure is, in itself, a very considerable pleasure.

Nothing exists without a cause, the original cause of this universe we call God.

Grief and disappointment give rise to anger, anger to envy, envy to malice, and malice to grief again, till the whole circle be completed.

Almost every one has a predominant inclination, to which his other desires and affections submit, and which governs him, though perhaps with some intervals, though the whole course of his life.

Though experience be our only guide in reasoning concerning matters of fact; it must be acknowledged, that this guide is not altogether infallible, but in some cases is apt to lead us into errors.

Human Nature is the only science of man; and yet has been hitherto the most neglected.

No advantages in this world are pure and unmixed.

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.

No conclusions can be more agreeable to scepticism than such as make discoveries concerning the weakness and narrow limits of human reason and capacity.

Jealousy is a painful passion; yet without some share of it, the agreeable affection of love has difficulty to subsist in its full force and violence.

I never asserted such an absurd thing as that things arise without a cause.

That the sun shines tomorrow is a judgement that is as true as the contrary judgement.

It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.

Nothing endears so much a friend as sorrow for his death. The pleasure of his company has not so powerful an influence.

The gazing populace receive greedily, without examination, whatever soothes superstition and promotes wonder.

The supposition that the future resembles the past, is not founded on arguments of any kind, but is derived entirely from habit.

Time is a perishable commodity.

Truth is disputable, not human taste.

The rules of morality are not the conclusion of our reason.

No human testimony can have such force as to prove a miracle, and make it a just foundation for any such system of religion

God is an ever-present spirit guiding all that happens to a wise and holy end.

The great end of all human industry is the attainment of happiness

The unhappy of all men is he who believes himself to be so.

Absolute monarchy,... is the easiest death, the true Euthanasia of the BRITISH constitution.

Mankind are always found prodigal both of blood and treasure in the maintenance of public justice.

Though men of delicate taste be rare, they are easily to be distinguished in society by the soundness of their understanding, and the superiority of their faculties above the rest of mankind.

The ages of greatest public spirit are not always eminent for private virtue.

Tho' there be no such Thing as Chance in the World; our Ignorance of the real Ccause of any Event has the same Influence on the Understanding, and begets a like Species of Belief or Opinion.

Character is the result of a system of stereotyped principals.

It is a certain rule that wit and passion are entirely incompatible. When the affections are moved, there is no place for the imagination.

It is... a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave.

Delicacy of taste has the same effect as delicacy of passion; it enlarges the sphere both of our happiness and our misery.

For the purposes of life and conduct, and society, a little good sense is surely better than all this genius, and a little good humour than this extreme sensibility.

A hundred cabinet-makers in London can work a table or a chair equally well; but no one poet can write verses with such spirit and elegance as Mr. Pope.

.. that a rule, which, in speculation, may seem the most advantageous to society, may yet be found, in practice, totally pernicious and destructive.

The advantages found in history seem to be of three kinds, as it amuses the fancy, as it improves the understanding, and as it strengthens virtue.

[priests are] the pretenders to power and dominion, and to a superior sanctity of character, distinct from virtue and good morals.

A delicacy of taste is favorable to love and friendship, by confining our choice to few people, and making us indifferent to the company and conversation of the greater part of men.

Never literary attempt was more unfortunate than my Treatise of Human Nature. It fell dead-born from the press.

I am ready to reject all belief and reasoning, and can look upon no opinion even as more probable or likely than another.

Men are much oftener thrown on their knees by the melancholy than by the agreeable passions.

The chief benefit, which results from philosophy, arises in an indirect manner, and proceeds more from its secret, insensible influence, than from its immediate application.

[A person’s] utmost art and industry can never equal the meanest of nature's productions, either for beauty or value.

To be a philosophical sceptic is, in a man of letters, the first and most essential to being a sound, believing Christian.

It is on opinion only that government is founded; and this maxim extends to the most despotic and most military governments, as well as to the most free and most popular.

But it is a miracle that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country.

I have written on all sorts of subjects... yet I have no enemies; except indeed all the Whigs, all the Tories, and all the Christians.

Luxury is a word of uncertain signification, and may be taken in a good as in a bad sense

What praise is implied in the simple epithet useful! What reproach in the contrary.