Day 19: Hume on Reason and Passion (Part I)

•      Reason and Passion (Overview)

•      Reason and Passion (Premise 1)

•      Reason and Passion (Premise 2)

•      For Day 20, reread Treatise, Bk II, Part III, Section III

Reason and Passion (Overview)

•      What does Hume think passions are?

•      What does he think the relationship is between reason and passion?

Reason and Passion (Overview)

•      Quick outline of the first part of his argument:

–   (1) Reason alone can never be a motive to any action of the will; passion is required.

–   (2) Reason [alone] can never oppose passion in the direction of the will; passion is required.

–   (3) Therefore, reason is a slave to the passions.

Reason and Passion (Premise 1)

•      There are two ways in which reason exerts itself:

–   Demonstration (in relations of ideas)

–   Probability (in matters of fact)

•      Hume argues that in neither of its two modes of exertion can reason, on its own, be a motive to any action of the will

Reason and Passion (Premise 2)

•      Nothing can oppose impulse or passion except a contrary impulse or passion

•      We have already seen that reason alone cannot give rise to an impulse or passion

•      Therefore, reason [alone] cannot oppose passion in the direction of the will