OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE.docx
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OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE.docx
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OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE
OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE
OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMAN
NATURE
DavidHume
THEREarecertainsects,whichsecretlyformthemselvesinthelearnedworld,aswellasfactionsinthepolitical;andthoughsometimestheycomenottoanopenrupture,theygiveadifferentturntothewaysofthinkingofthosewhohavetakenpartoneitherside.Themostremarkableofthiskindarethesects,foundedonthedifferentsentimentswithregardtothedignityofhumannature;whichisapointthatseemstohavedividedphilosophersandpoets,aswellasdivines,fromthebeginningoftheworldtothisday.Someexaltourspeciestotheskies,andrepresentmanasakindofhumandemigod,whoderiveshisoriginfromheaven,andretainsevidentmarksofhislineageanddescent.Othersinsistupontheblindsidesofhumannature,andcandiscovernothing,exceptvanity,inwhichmansurpassestheotheranimals,whomheaffectssomuchtodespise.Ifanauthorpossessthetalentofrhetoricanddeclamation,hecommonlytakespartwiththeformer:
Ifhisturnlietowardsironyandridicule,henaturallythrowshimselfintotheotherextreme.
Iamfarfromthinking,thatallthose,whohavedepreciatedourspecies,havebeenenemiestovirtue,andhaveexposedthefrailtiesoftheirfellowcreatureswithanybadintention.Onthecontrary,Iamsensiblethatadelicatesenseofmorals,especiallywhenattendedwithasplenetictemper,isapttogiveamanadisgustoftheworld,andtomakehimconsiderthecommoncourseofhumanaffairswithtoomuchindignation.Imust,however,beofopinion,thatthesentimentsofthose,whoareinclinedtothinkfavourablyofmankind,aremoreadvantageoustovirtue,thanthecontraryprinciples,whichgiveusameanopinionofournature.Whenamanisprepossessedwithahighnotionofhisrankandcharacterinthecreation,hewillnaturallyendeavourtoactuptoit,andwillscorntodoabaseorviciousaction,whichmightsinkhimbelowthatfigurewhichhemakesinhisownimagination.Accordinglywefind,thatallourpoliteandfashionablemoralistsinsistuponthistopic,andendeavourtorepresentviceasunworthyofman,aswellasodiousinitself.
Wefindfewdisputes,thatarenotfoundedonsomeambiguityintheexpression;andIampersuaded,thatthepresentdispute,concerningthedignityormeannessofhumannature,isnotmoreexemptfromitthanany
other.Itmay,therefore,beworthwhiletoconsider,whatisreal,andwhatisonlyverbal,inthiscontroversy.
Thatthereisanaturaldifferencebetweenmeritanddemerit,virtueandvice,wisdomandfolly,noreasonablemanwilldeny:
Yetisitevident,thatinaffixingtheterm,whichdenoteseitherourapprobationorblame,wearecommonlymoreinfluencedbycomparisonthanbyanyfixedunalterablestandardinthenatureofthings.Inlikemanner,quantity,andextension,andbulk,arebyeveryoneacknowledgedtoberealthings:
Butwhenwecallanyanimalgreatorlittle,wealwaysformasecretcomparisonbetweenthatanimalandothersofthesamespecies;anditisthatcomparisonwhichregulatesourjudgmentconcerningitsgreatness.Adogandahorsemaybeoftheverysamesize,whiletheoneisadmiredforthegreatnessofitsbulk,andtheotherforthesmallness.WhenIampresent,therefore,atanydispute,Ialwaysconsiderwithmyself,whetheritbeaquestionofcomparisonornotthatisthesubjectofthecontroversy;andifitbe,whetherthedisputantscomparethesameobjectstogether,ortalkofthingsthatarewidelydifferent.
Informingournotionsofhumannature,weareapttomakeacomparisonbetweenmenandanimals,theonlycreaturesendowedwiththoughtthatfallunderoursenses.Certainlythiscomparisonisfavourabletomankind.Ontheonehand,weseeacreature,whosethoughtsarenotlimitedbyanynarrowbounds,eitherofplaceortime;whocarrieshisresearchesintothemostdistantregionsofthisglobe,andbeyondthisglobe,totheplanetsandheavenlybodies;looksbackwardtoconsiderthefirstorigin,atleast,thehistoryofhumanrace;castshiseyeforwardtoseetheinfluenceofhisactionsuponposterity,andthejudgmentswhichwillbeformedofhischaracterathousandyearshence;acreature,whotracescausesandeffectstoagreatlengthandintricacy;extractsgeneralprinciplesfromparticularappearances;improvesuponhisdiscoveries;correctshismistakes;andmakeshisveryerrorsprofitable.Ontheotherhand,wearepresentedwithacreaturetheveryreverseofthis;limitedinitsobservationsandreasoningstoafewsensibleobjectswhichsurroundit;withoutcuriosity,withoutforesight;blindlyconductedbyinstinct,andattaining,inashorttime,itsutmostperfection,beyondwhichitisneverabletoadvanceasinglestep.Whatawidedifferenceistherebetweenthese
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