matter of fact or of relations" (Hume, 1983, p. 84). He is saying that reason defines coldly and implacably, what the specifics of a given situation are, and what the existing relationship is. These are all factual dynamics, born out of long human experience, weighed out, and written down before hand.
In the matter of crime, Hume draws our attention to the idea that crime is not a quality that is reasoned out. Yes, the individual may premeditate his actions, and indeed be judged by the reason of the law. But the motivation to commit the crime is born out of the fabric of the mind, the sentiment that decides that blame for some unfairness is to be directed outwards, and that motivation and rationale are then sufficient to act. This is not reason, but sentiment (Hume, 1983). Hume, like Aristotle, insists that the soundness of his arguments rests on the ability of the arguments themselves to maintain internally integrity. As far as crime is concerned, this proves out. The criminal is concerned with circumstances, past, present or future. The criminal is concerned with the relationship between himself and the outside world. All the human decisions involving sentiment have been made before the criminal acts: "Twist and turn this
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