Quotes from David Hume

But the life of a man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.

The truth springs from arguments amongst friends.

He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper, but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to his circumstance.

It is an absurdity to believe that the Deity has human passions, and one of the lowest of human passions, a restless appetite for applause

When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities.

If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.

Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.

Liberty of any kind is never lost all at once.

Does a man of sense run after every silly tale of hobgoblins or fairies, and canvass particularly the evidence? I never knew anyone, that examined and deliberated about nonsense who did not believe it before the end of his enquiries.

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.

Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them

All sentiment is right; because sentiment has a reference to nothing beyond itself, and is always real, wherever a man is conscious of it. But all determinations of the understanding are not right; because they have a reference to something beyond themselves, to wit, real matter of fact; and are not always conformable to that standard.

A wise man apportions his beliefs to the evidence.

The sweetest and most inoffensive path of life leads through the avenues of science and learning; and whoever can either remove any obstructions in this way, or open up any new prospect, ought so far to be esteemed a benefactor to mankind.

Stercus accidit.

The identity that we ascribe to things is only a fictitious one, established by the mind, not a peculiar nature belonging to what we're talking about.

Heaven and Hell suppose two distinct species of men, the Good and the Bad. But the greatest part of mankind float betwixt vice and virtue.

How can we satisfy ourselves without going on in infinitum? And, after all, what satisfaction is there in that infinite progression? Let us remember the story of the Indian philosopher and his elephant. It was never more applicable than to the present subject. If the material world rests upon a similar ideal world, this ideal world must rest upon some other; and so on, without end. It were better, therefore, never to look beyond the present material world.

I do not have enough faith to believe there is no god.

Nothing exists without a cause, the original cause of this universe we call God.

God is an ever-present spirit guiding all that happens to a wise and holy end.

He is happy whom circumstances suit his temper; but he Is more excellent who suits his temper to any circumstance.

Reading and sauntering and lounging and dosing, which I call thinking, is my supreme Happiness.

Human happiness seems to consist in three ingredients: action, pleasure and indolence.