Quote

Reasoning from the common course of nature, and without supposing any new interposition of the Supreme Cause, which ought always to be excluded from philosophy what is incorruptible must also be ingenerable. The soul, therefore, if immortal, existed before our birth: And if the former existence noways concerned us, neither will the latter.

David Hume

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

David Hume
Age: 65 †
Born: 1711
Born: April 26
Died: 1776
Died: August 25
Economist
Essayist
Historian
Librarian
Philosopher
Writer
Edinburgh
Scotland
David Home
Hume
Soul
Philosophy
Former
Incorruptible
Without
Courses
Supreme
Supposing
Must
Course
Neither
Excluded
Always
Causes
Therefore
Existed
Existence
Concerned
Reasoning
Common
Birth
Immortality
Nature
Cause
Immortal
Also
Ought
Latter
Interposition

More quotes by David Hume

Image
A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.
David Hume
Image
Avarice, or the desire of gain, is a universal passion which operates at all times, at all places, and upon all persons.
David Hume
Image
It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.
David Hume
Image
Examine the religious principles which have, in fact, prevailed in the world. You will scarcely be persuaded that they are other than sick men's dreams.
David Hume
Image
Character is the result of a system of stereotyped principals.
David Hume
Image
I cannot but bless the memory of Julius Caesar, for the great esteem he expressed for fat men and his aversion to lean ones.
David Hume
Image
We may observe that, in displaying the praises of any humane, beneficent man, there is one circumstance which never fails to be amply insisted on, namely, the happiness and satisfaction, derived to society from his intercourse and good offices.
David Hume
Image
.. the voice of nature and experience seems plainly to oppose the selfish theory.
David Hume
Image
Beauty, whether moral or natural, is felt, more properly than perceived.
David Hume
Image
It is with books as with women, where a certain plainness of manner and of dress is more engaging than that glare of paint and airs and apparel which may dazzle the eye, but reaches not the affections.
David Hume
Image
Human happiness seems to consist in three ingredients action, pleasure and indolence. And though these ingredients ought to be mixed in different proportions, according to the disposition of the person, yet no one ingredient can be entirely wanting without destroying in some measure the relish of the whole composition.
David Hume
Image
The simplest and most obvious cause which can there be assigned for any phenomena, is probably the true one.
David Hume
Image
Liberty is a blessing so inestimable, that, wherever there appears any probability of recovering it, a nation may willingly run many hazards, and ought not even to repine at the greatest effusion of blood or dissipation of treasure.
David Hume
Image
Courage, of all national qualities, is the most precarious because it is exerted only at intervals, and by a few in every nation whereas industry, knowledge, civility, may be of constant and universal use, and for several ages, may become habitual to the whole people.
David Hume
Image
To hate, to love, to think, to feel, to see all this is nothing but to perceive.
David Hume
Image
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.
David Hume
Image
Nothing is more surprising than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.
David Hume
Image
Disbelief in futurity loosens in a great measure the ties of morality, and may be for that reason pernicious to the peace of civil society.
David Hume
Image
It is harder to avoid censure than to gain applause for this may be done by one great or wise action in an age. But to escape censure a man must pass his whole life without saying or doing one ill or foolish thing
David Hume
Image
Accuracy is, in every case, advantageous to beauty, and just reasoning to delicate sentiment. In vain would we exalt the one by depreciating the other.
David Hume