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
A little philosophy makes a man an Atheist: a great deal converts him to religion
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that a superficial understanding of philosophy can lead one to skepticism, while a deep engagement can foster religious belief.
David Hume's quote highlights the paradox of philosophical inquiry in relation to belief systems. It implies that a person with only a cursory grasp of philosophy might easily dismiss traditional religious views, becoming an atheist. In contrast, those who delve deeply into philosophical questions often confront complex existential inquiries that can lead them back to a belief in a higher power or organized religion. This suggests that true philosophical exploration can provoke profound reflections, sometimes resulting in a return to faith.
Themes
PhilosophyAtheismReligionBeliefSkepticism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a philosophy class discussion about the impact of philosophical inquiry on belief systems.
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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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.
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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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You cannot attain to charity except through humility.
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