display all the ideas for this combination of texts
3 ideas
21100 | The idea that society rests on consent or promises undermines obedience [Hume] |
Full Idea: Were you to preach in most parts of the world that political connections are founded altogether on voluntary consent or a mutual promise, the magistrate would soon imprison you as seditious for loosening the ties of obedience. | |
From: David Hume (Of the original contract [1741], p.278) | |
A reaction: He cites obedience as the prime civic virtue, because the law can't operate without it. He doesn't seem to consider the limiting cases of obedience, which makes him essentially a conservative. |
20495 | We no more give 'tacit assent' to the state than a passenger carried on board a ship while asleep [Hume] |
Full Idea: [If we give 'tacit' assent to the state] ...we may as well assert that a man, by remaining in a vessel, freely consents to the dominion of the master, though he was carried aboard while asleep. | |
From: David Hume (Of the original contract [1741], p.283) | |
A reaction: We should probably drop the whole idea that we give assent to the state. We are stuck with a state, and a few of us can escape, if it seems important enough, but most of us have no choice. He hope to assent to the controllers of the state. |
21101 | The people would be amazed to learn that government arises from their consent [Hume] |
Full Idea: When we assert that all lawful government arises from the consent of the people, we certainly do them a great deal more honour than they deserve, or even expect or desire from us. | |
From: David Hume (Of the original contract [1741], p.285) | |
A reaction: Hume has no interest in the purely abstract idea of a contract, and scorns Locke's idea of tacit consent to government. I assume he would dismiss Rawls as unrealistic theorising. Hume loves peace, and is alarmed by change. |