Hume and the Foundation of Morality
David Hume, in An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, delves into the foundations of morality. He divides the origins of morality into two possible sources, reason and sentiment. He defines reason as that facility or quality or action that "can instruct us in the tendency of qualities and actions, and point out their beneficial consequences to society (Hume, 1983, p. 82). He defines sentiment as the emotional disposition that guides reason. In example after example Hume makes it clear that reason should be regarded as a qualitative tool that helps us define our world. Without sentiment as the spur, reason would not be employed effectively (Hume, 1983).
Hume describes how reason and sentiment differ in societal use, thus illuminating their placement in defining morality. As reason seems to garner center stage in law, mathematics, and the sciences, Hume illustrates how reason may act as the instrument of an applied morality, but of itself is cold and intellectually remote. Using induction, Hume takes the concept of justice as applied to society, and points out with great specificity how justice, interpreted by law and reason, is only as affective as the human agency behind it. Hume states that single instances of justice are often destructive, and society only benefits from observance of a general rule (Hume, 1983). In other words, the reasoning behind a certain law ceases to be a living, breathing, representation of human intentions or sentiment, once the law is passed and set in place.
If one observes the reasoning behind Federal and state laws in the United States regarding the speed limits, the reasoning involved in passing such laws did not apply to the human element. The laws were passed to slow the use of gasoline, the results were an apparent savings of life, and a loss in revenue for some long distance truck drivers.
Hume then states, that "reason judges either...