more from David Hume

Single Idea 6692

[catalogued under 20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / a. Practical reason]

Full Idea

In Hume's account of action, practical reason is not a very forceful guide to conduct, since we can escape its demands by abandoning or modifying our desires.

Gist of Idea

For Hume, practical reason has little force, because we can always modify our desires

Source

report of David Hume (Treatise of Human Nature [1739]) by Gordon Graham - Eight Theories of Ethics Ch.6

Book Reference

Graham,Gordon: 'Eight Theories of Ethics' [Routledge 2004], p.107


A Reaction

Presumably a desire can be a good reason, and we can passionately desire to be rational, etc., so this is a rather complex issue. 'Pure reason' is not 'all-or-nothing', and neither is pure desire.