From the apparent usefulness of the social virtues, it has readily been inferred by sceptics, both ancient and … - David Hume

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Lack of awareness of the basic unity of organism and environment is a serious and dangerous hallucination.

David Hume

From the apparent usefulness of the social virtues, it has readily been inferred by sceptics, both ancient and modern, that all moral distinctions arise from education, and were, at first, invented, and afterwards encouraged. . . in order to render men tractable, and subdue their natural ferocity and selfishness, which incapacitated them for society.

Men, Order, Selfishness, Incapacitated, Ferocity

Same Author Quotes

No quality of human nature is more remarkable, both in itself and in its consequences, than that propensity we have to sympathize with others, and to receive by communication their inclinations and sentiments, however different from, or even contrary to our own.

Communication, Different, Human, Propensity, Quality, Sympathize

The heights of popularity and patriotism are still the beaten road to power and tyranny; flattery to treachery; standing armies to arbitrary government; and the glory of God to the temporal interest of the clergy.

Army, Glory, Government, Interest, Patriotism, Tyranny

No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish.

Establish, Falsehood, Miracle, Reality, Religious, Sufficient

Weakness, fear, melancholy, together with ignorance, are the true sources of superstition. Hope, pride, presumption, a warm indignation, together with ignorance, are the true sources of enthusiasm.

Ignorance, Indignation, Presumption, Pride, Together

Liberty of thinking, and of expressing our thoughts, is always fatal to priestly power, and to those pious frauds on which it is commonly founded.

Fatal, Founded, Fraud, Liberty, Thinking