Your corn is ripe today; mine will be so tomorrow. 'Tis profitable for us both, that I should labour with you today, and that you should aid me tomorrow.
David HumeRead
All that belongs to human understanding, in this deep ignorance and obscurity, is to be sceptical, or at least cautious, and not to admit of any hypothesis whatever, much less of any which is supported by no appearance of probability.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of skepticism and caution in human understanding, especially when faced with uncertainty.
David Hume suggests that due to the inherent limitations of human understanding, we should approach knowledge with skepticism and caution. He argues that instead of accepting unfounded hypotheses, we should demand a reasonable degree of probability before embracing any idea, as this is crucial in navigating the complexities of knowledge and existence.
Themes
SkepticismKnowledgeUnderstandingProbabilityCaution
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussing the nature of knowledge.
More from David Hume
All quotes →Eloquence, at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection, but addresses itself entirely to the desires and affections, captivating the willing hearers, and subduing their understanding.
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The great end of all human industry is the attainment of happiness
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There is a very remarkable inclination in human nature to bestow on external objects the same emotions which it observes in itself, and to find every where those ideas which are most present to it.
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To have recourse to the veracity of the supreme Being, in order to prove the veracity of our senses, is surely making a very unexpected circuit.
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... The idea of God, as meaning an infinitely intelligent, wise and good Being, arises from reflecting on the operations of our own mind, and augmenting, without limit, those qualities of goodness and wisdom.
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Weak character will neutralize all of the other possible good qualities a person might possess.
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