ion and says that the passions and reason can never oppose each other because a passion can never be called unreasonable. A passion can never be called unreasonable because it is a human sentiment that no one has the right or authority to judge or condemn. Hume gives two good arguments as to why the criterion of moral judgment is not reason. In his first example he uses an example of a parent tree giving birth to a sampling which then grows and kill the parent tree. Hume ponders why this instance is considered normal for the tree, but in the case of man it would not be considered moral. Hume compares this situation to ingratitude towards parents in human nature. The question arises among philosophers, whether the guilt of moral deformity of this action be discovered by demonstrative reasoning, or be felt by an internal sense, and by means of some sentiment, which the reflecting on such an action naturally occasions. This question will soon be decided against the former opinion(reason), if we can show the same relations in other objects, without the notion of any guilt or iniquity attending them.(Johnson 183). Ingratitude towards one’s parents is considered wrong, and probably immoral, but man thinks nothing of a sappling overpowering and killing it’s parent. Man cannot reason this, it is one’s feelings and sentiments that make the decision.Hume feels that using reason as an approach is cold and detached. A man that uses only reason leaves his heart out of his decisions. This is where I am in the most agreeance with Hume. Hume states that, “Reason exerts itself without producing any sensible emotion”(Johnson 176). A complete man acts on accordance of his passions. Hume’s second example to explain that reason is not the basis for moral choices is in the case of human incest. He poses the question, “...Why incest in the human species is criminal, and why the very same action, and...
