An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Quotes

“Such is the influence of custom, that, where it is strongest, it not only covers our natural ignorance, but even conceals itself, and seems not to take place, merely because it is found in the highest degree.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:hidingignorance

“Custom, then, is the great guide of human life.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:life

“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, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:truthbeauty

“The feelings of our heart, the agitation of our passions, the vehemence of our affections, dissipate all its conclusions, and reduce the profound philosopher to a mere plebeian.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:heartphilosophyfeelings

“Mere reason is insufficient to convince us of its veracity: And whoever is moved by Faith to assent to it, is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a...”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:understandingreasonbeliefexperiencefaith

“Eloquence, when at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection; but addressing itself entirely to the fancy or the affections, captivates the willing hearers, and subdues their understanding.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:understandingreason

“So that, upon the whole, we may conclude, that the Christian Religion not only was at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be believed by any reasonable person without one.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:religionreasonbelief

“Obscurity, indeed, is painful to the mind as well as to the eye; but to bring light from obscurity, by whatever labour, must needs be delightful and rejoicing.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:painlight

“A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:natureexperiencescience

“Nature will always maintain her rights, and prevail in the end over any abstract reasoning whatsoever.”

― David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

topic:naturereason