So in this reading, Hume distgunishes between natural and artifical virtues. As aforementioned, the idea of Justice is an artifical virtue. Hume believes this because in certain instances, when universally applied, justice can wrongfully cause a person pain. However, overall, it is an invention that men need in order to live together in society. So for Hume, a natural virtue would be something that is a direct result of our mind or sympathy in particular. Generally speaking the idea of justice is too far detached from our own perceptions to be considered "natural". He also stresses the importance of pride, saying that it is key to the "heroic virtues".
I had a problem with a paragraph where Hume does speak about logic, and strings together several seemingly contradictory ideas:
"The nessacary consquence of there principals is, that pride, or an overweaning conciet of others, must be vicious; since it causes uneasiness in all men.... tis our own pride which makes us so displeased of the pride of others.... but the proud can never endure the proud." (3.3.2.7)
I'm not sure what to make of all this here....
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1 comment:
I liked your comment about natural virtue being a direct result of mind and sympathy. That clarifies things a bit for me. :)
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