OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx
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OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMAN
NATURE
DavidHume
THEREarecertainsects,whichsecretlyformthemselvesinthelearnedworld,aswellasfactionsinthepolitical;
andthoughsometimestheycomenottoanopenrupture,theygiveadifferentturntothewaysofthinkingofthosewhohavetakenpartoneitherside.Themostremarkableofthiskindarethesects,foundedonthedifferentsentimentswithregardtothedignityofhumannature;
whichisapointthatseemstohavedividedphilosophersandpoets,aswellasdivines,fromthebeginningoftheworldtothisday.Someexaltourspeciestotheskies,andrepresentmanasakindofhumandemigod,whoderiveshisoriginfromheaven,andretainsevidentmarksofhislineageanddescent.Othersinsistupontheblindsidesofhumannature,andcandiscovernothing,exceptvanity,inwhichmansurpassestheotheranimals,whomheaffectssomuchtodespise.Ifanauthorpossessthetalentofrhetoricanddeclamation,hecommonlytakespartwiththeformer:
Ifhisturnlietowardsironyandridicule,henaturallythrowshimselfintotheotherextreme.
Iamfarfromthinking,thatallthose,whohavedepreciatedourspecies,havebeenenemiestovirtue,andhaveexposedthefrailtiesoftheirfellowcreatureswithanybadintention.Onthecontrary,Iamsensiblethatadelicatesenseofmorals,especiallywhenattendedwithasplenetictemper,isapttogiveamanadisgustoftheworld,andtomakehimconsiderthecommoncourseofhumanaffairswithtoomuchindignation.Imust,however,beofopinion,thatthesentimentsofthose,whoareinclinedtothinkfavourablyofmankind,aremoreadvantageoustovirtue,thanthecontraryprinciples,whichgiveusameanopinionofournature.Whenamanisprepossessedwithahighnotionofhisrankandcharacterinthecreation,hewillnaturallyendeavourtoactuptoit,andwillscorntodoabaseorviciousaction,whichmightsinkhimbelowthatfigurewhichhemakesinhisownimagination.Accordinglywefind,thatallourpoliteandfashionablemoralistsinsistuponthistopic,andendeavourtorepresentviceasunworthyofman,aswellasodiousinitself.
Wefindfewdisputes,thatarenotfoundedonsomeambiguityintheexpression;
andIampersuaded,thatthepresentdispute,concerningthedignityormeannessofhumannature,isnotmoreexemptfromitthanany
other.Itmay,therefore,beworthwhiletoconsider,whatisreal,andwhatisonlyverbal,inthiscontroversy.
Thatthereisanaturaldifferencebetweenmeritanddemerit,virtueandvice,wisdomandfolly,noreasonablemanwilldeny:
Yetisitevident,thatinaffixingtheterm,whichdenoteseitherourapprobationorblame,wearecommonlymoreinfluencedbycomparisonthanbyanyfixedunalterablestandardinthenatureofthings.Inlikemanner,quantity,andextension,andbulk,arebyeveryoneacknowledgedtoberealthings:
Butwhenwecallanyanimalgreatorlittle,wealwaysformasecretcomparisonbetweenthatanimalandothersofthesamespecies;
anditisthatcomparisonwhichregulatesourjudgmentconcerningitsgreatness.Adogandahorsemaybeoftheverysamesize,whiletheoneisadmiredforthegreatnessofitsbulk,andtheotherforthesmallness.WhenIampresent,therefore,atanydispute,Ialwaysconsiderwithmyself,whetheritbeaquestionofcomparisonornotthatisthesubjectofthecontroversy;
andifitbe,whetherthedisputantscomparethesameobjectstogether,ortalkofthingsthatarewidelydifferent.
Informingournotionsofhumannature,weareapttomakeacomparisonbetweenmenandanimals,theonlycreaturesendowedwiththoughtthatfallunderoursenses.Certainlythiscomparisonisfavourabletomankind.Ontheonehand,weseeacreature,whosethoughtsarenotlimitedbyanynarrowbounds,eitherofplaceortime;
whocarrieshisresearchesintothemostdistantregionsofthisglobe,andbeyondthisglobe,totheplanetsandheavenlybodies;
looksbackwardtoconsiderthefirstorigin,atleast,thehistoryofhumanrace;
castshiseyeforwardtoseetheinfluenceofhisactionsuponposterity,andthejudgmentswhichwillbeformedofhischaracterathousandyearshence;
acreature,whotracescausesandeffectstoagreatlengthandintricacy;
extractsgeneralprinciplesfromparticularappearances;
improvesuponhisdiscoveries;
correctshismistakes;
andmakeshisveryerrorsprofitable.Ontheotherhand,wearepresentedwithacreaturetheveryreverseofthis;
limitedinitsobservationsandreasoningstoafewsensibleobjectswhichsurroundit;
withoutcuriosity,withoutforesight;
blindlyconductedbyinstinct,andattaining,inashorttime,itsutmostperfection,beyondwhichitisneverabletoadvanceasinglestep.Whatawidedifferenceistherebetweenthese