# Quote — David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature

> Nothing is more usual and more natural for those, who pretend to discover anything new to the world in philosophy and the sciences, than to insinuate the praises of their own systems, by decrying all those, which have been advanced before them. And indeed were they content with lamenting that ignorance, which we still lie under in the most important questions, that can come before the tribunal of human reason, there are few, who have an acquaintance with the sciences, that would not readily agree with them. 'Tis easy for one of judgment and learning, to perceive the weak foundation even of those systems, which have obtained the greatest credit, and have carried their pretensions highest to accurate and profound reasoning. Principles taken upon trust, consequences lamely deduced from them, want of coherence in the parts, and of evidence in the whole, these are every where to be met with in the systems of the most eminent philosophers, and seem to have drawn disgrace upon philosophy itself.

- Author: [David Hume](https://www.leafyquotes.com/david-hume.md)
- Book: [A Treatise of Human Nature](https://www.leafyquotes.com/david-hume/a-treatise-of-human-nature.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Hume#A_Treatise_of_Human_Nature_(1739-40)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/david-hume/a-treatise-of-human-nature/nothing-is-more

## More from this book

> We speak not strictly and philosophically when we talk of the combat of passion and of reason. Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/david-hume/a-treatise-of-human-nature/we-speak-not.md)

> The sense of justice and injustice is not deriv'd from nature, but arises artificially... from education, and human conventions.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/david-hume/a-treatise-of-human-nature/the-sense-of-justice.md)

> I cannot forbear adding to these reasonings an observation, which may, perhaps, be found of some importance. In every system of morality, which I have hitherto met with, I have always remarked, that the author proceeds for some time in the ordinary way of reasoning, and establishes the being of a God, or makes observations concerning human affairs; when of a sudden I am surprized to find, that instead of the usual copulations of propositions, is, and is not, I meet with no proposition that is not connected with an ought, or an ought not. This change is imperceptible; but is, however, of the last consequence. For as this ought, or ought not, expresses some new relation or affirmation, it is necessary that it should be observed and explained; and at the same time that a reason should be given, for what seems altogether inconceivable, how this new relation can be a deduction from others, which are entirely different from it. But as authors do not commonly use this precaution, I shall presume to recommend it to the readers; and am persuaded, that this small attention would subvert all the vulgar systems of morality, and let us see, that the distinction of vice and virtue is not founded merely on the relations of objects, nor is perceived by reason.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/david-hume/a-treatise-of-human-nature/i-cannot-forbear.md)