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Full Idea
Your sense of 'natural' is founded on final causes, which is a consideration that appears to me pretty uncertain and unphilosophical.
Gist of Idea
The idea of a final cause is very uncertain and unphilosophical
Source
David Hume (Letters [1739], to Hutcheson 1739)
Book Ref
'British Moralists 1650-1800 Vol. 2', ed/tr. Raphael,D.D. [Hackett 1991], p.109
A Reaction
This is the rejection of Aristotelian teleology by modern science. I agree that the notion of utterly ultimate final cause is worse than 'uncertain' - it is an impossible concept. Nevertheless, I prefer Aristotle to Hume. Nature can teach us lessons.
20705 | That events could be uncaused is absurd; I only say intuition and demonstration don't show this [Hume] |
4580 | All virtues benefit either the public, or the individual who possesses them [Hume] |
4579 | The idea of a final cause is very uncertain and unphilosophical [Hume] |
4581 | Virtues and vices are like secondary qualities in perception, found in observers, not objects [Hume] |