OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx

上传人:b****2 文档编号:14381911 上传时间:2022-10-22 格式:DOCX 页数:7 大小:58.55KB
下载 相关 举报
OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx_第1页
第1页 / 共7页
OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx_第2页
第2页 / 共7页
OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx_第3页
第3页 / 共7页
OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx_第4页
第4页 / 共7页
OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx_第5页
第5页 / 共7页
点击查看更多>>
下载资源
资源描述

OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx

《OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx(7页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。

OFTHEDIGNITYORMEANNESSOFHUMANNATURE文档格式.docx

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

展开阅读全文
相关资源
猜你喜欢
相关搜索

当前位置:首页 > 经管营销 > 人力资源管理

copyright@ 2008-2022 冰豆网网站版权所有

经营许可证编号:鄂ICP备2022015515号-1