Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Philosophy humes benevolence humes benevolence Hume's Argument on the Distinction Benevolence & Self-love In his Enquiry Concerning the Principle of Morals, Hume rebukes the arguments of skeptical, philosophers who deny the existence of moral distinctions. He doubts that an individual can be so indifferent that he or she is unable to distinguish between right and wrong. Hume believes that the differences between men arise from nature, from habit, and from education. Hume believes no skeptic, no matter how doubtful, can claim that there are absolutely no moral distinctions. Also, he accepts if we disregard these skeptics, we find that they eventually give up their unconvincing claims and come over to the side of common sense and reason. In this paper, it will be shown that ultimately Hume maintains that benevolence is not the basis for self-love, rather it focuses on the utility to please, and the need for benevolence for its own sake. The particular instances on which Hume first focuses are those relating to two social virtues: benevolence and justice. It is obvious, he says, that our benevolent qualities are important. To say of a person that he or she is sociable, good-natured, humane, merciful, grateful, friendly, generous, is to 'express the highest merit, which human nature is capable of attaining'(29). It is equally apparent, he suggests, that these qualities are esteemed because they proved for, "the happiness of mankind, the order of society, the harmony of families, the mutual support of friends…over the breasts of men"(34). The usefulness of these forms of benevolence is an essential condition of the attention we give to them, a inference that is understood, once morals acts of a particular type cease to be useful, they cease to be valued (30-32). In addition, he shows that this set of morals, which converts all human society into self-love. Hume does not argue about benevolence or self-love, which dominate human nature; a dispute, which, as he justly observes, is never likely to have any issue, both because society is not easily convinced, and because the issue, which can be caused on either side, are so uncertain, and subject to such a variety of interpretations, that it is impossible accurately to compare them. He thinks it is sufficient for his purpose, that there is some benevolence, however small, instilled into our heart; some amount of friendship for human kind: "Let these generous sentiments, says he, be supposed ever so weak; let them be hardly sufficient to move even a hand or finger of our body; they must still direct the determinations of the mind, and where every thing else is equal, produce a cool preference of what is useful and serviceable to mankind, above what is pernicious and dangerous. A moral distinction, therefore, immediately arises; a general sentiment of blame and approbation; {11} a tendency, however faint, to the objects of the one, and a proportionable aversion to those of the other"(72). Hume goes on to ask, why utility pleases; why is it that we admire those qualities that are beneficial to society? Before answering this question he notes that it does not concern inanimate objects. We obviously find many such objects to be useful, but that is no reason to suppose that we are call them virtuous, nor do we, except in immoral ways, attribute virtues to them(62-64). Those opinions directed towards rational beings' include esteem or approbation, while the sentiments directed towards mere things are clearly not the same. Hume's' concern, then, is with our approbation of those human acts that benefit (or harm) man and society (66-67). Hume supposes that two answers have been given to his question: why does utility please? Some have said that acts useful to society receive our approbation only because, we see them as benefiting ourselves personally. Others believe that these acts receive our approbation on some or even many occasions because, although they give us no personal benefit, they are recognized as beneficial to others. Hume again aligns himself with the second group. He grants that human nature is marked by a strong tendency towards self-interest, and that the claim that we support the principles of morality and social order out of self-love or private regard has some truth, but he goes on to argue that the selfish theory is quite unable to account for crucial aspects of our experience, and hence cannot be correct(78-79). Hume's final point concerning benevolence in the Enquiry is his description of personal merit that he has completed. Humans are not entirely selfish creatures there is some benevolence, however small, instilled in our hearts(67). These benevolent doctrines, however weak they may be, are sufficiently strong to lead us to prefer that which is "useful and serviceable to mankind, above what is pernicious and dangerous"(72). Hume affirms that moral distinctions are contrived for the purpose that we have the predilection to benefit human society. The presence of this sentiment means that we respond with approval or disapproval to certain actions or qualities that we experience others to have. Hume agrees that there are genuine and significant differences between characters and the actions resulting from them. Some are beneficial to mankind, and some are baneful. These are actions we react with approval or disapproval, and thus we create moral distinctions, and call actions assisting the public morally good and those leaning toward evil morals. Bibliography: Word Count: 886
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