Philosophy 152 Philosophy of Human Nature Darwall Fall 1996 HUME I I Historical Context II Secular, naturalistic view of human beings and of ethics. (Compare with Aquinas.) III In particular, Hume argues that ethics is based, not on reason, but on sentiment. How does this picture work? "To virtue . . . it belongs to be aimiable, and vice odious." Virtues are those traits whose nature is to be amiable in the sense that we naturallyhave feelings of approval, for them. And contrariwise for moral virtues. Two claims: A. What is morally good and bad is revealed to us by feeling, and B. There is nothing more to something's being morally good or bad than that it is apt to provoke this feeling (naturally) in human beings. IV. Take benevolence as an example. Why is benevolence a virtue? A. p. 201: "We may observe that . . . intercourse and good offices." Benevolence leads to public happiness or "utility". But why does this make us approve it? B. To answer this, we must go to Section V (p. 208): "Why Utility Pleases." Consider: i. "The human countenance . . . countenance." (210) ii. "We enter, I shall suppose . . . good-offices." (210) iii. "He tells me . . . violence and injury." (211) iv. "But it is no wonder . . . author." (211) v. "Would any man . . . and pavement." (211) What is going on here? C. Like Mencius believed about compassion, Hume believes that there are spontaneous, involuntary psychological responses to the feelings of others. Hume calls these "sympathy" or "humanity." i. When we contemplate someone in pain, we tend to feel pain, and when we contemplate someone in pleasure, we tend to feel pleasure (other things being equal)/ ii. Consequently, when contemplate a trait of character that (we believe) tends to cause pleasure, we tend to feel pleasure pleasure, and, when we contemplate one that tends to cause pain, we tend to feel pain. iii. These "observer's" pleasures and pains present themselves as feelings of approbation and disapprobation of the trait. D. This is what makes benevolence a virtue, and malevolence a vice.