David Hume And Immanuel Kant On Morality

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Recommended: David Hume natural tendencies to virtue

Jenna Novy
Professor Engar
Intellectual Traditions
David Hume and Immanuel Kant on Morality One of the earliest groundworks for morality stem from the teachings within the Bible. It is written that “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23). Interpretations of this verse yield the conclusion that if immorality comes from within, then righteousness and morality comes from without- from God. This explanation of morality was accepted for thousands of years, so when philosophers …show more content…

However, because virtues and vices are relatively universally understood, most people’s moral conduct is comparable. The ideas of virtue and vice are paramount to Hume’s theory, so it is necessary to lay down a strong foundation regarding what these terms mean. Hume breaks virtues down into two types: natural virtue and artificial virtue. Natural virtues are agreeable in all situations, whether one resides in a large society or not. Artificial virtues, on the other hand, are a result of man’s exposure to civilization. They extend beyond familial ties and are useful for amiable interaction within a society. Natural virtues are a sure guide to happiness, while artificial virtues are spread and cultivated throughout a society to provide long-term contentment (Denis, Wilson). One of the first virtues that Hume discusses is that of benevolence. He writes that, “nothing can bestow more merit on any person that his having a very high degree of the sentiment of benevolence” (Hume 7). It is the ultimate natural virtue and the mark of a moral human. In contrast, a vice is any characteristic that is odious to humankind. Hume decries the vice of luxury, which has been known to have a corrupting influence on government and a major cause of faction, sedition, and civil …show more content…

He proposes that the motive behind leading a virtuous life is not to promote personal happiness but rather to act upon a duty that each human has towards his fellow humans. In fact, Kant states that an action done for the means of anything other than duty is less moral. A person may feel good about completing a charitable act, but that feeling should not be what drives them. The duty that each human is responsible for is outlined by moral laws, which are intrinsically valid. Kant writes in his Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals that, “[A Moral Law’s] application to human beings doesn’t depend on knowledge of any facts about them (anthropology); it gives them, as rational beings, a priori laws—ones that are valid whatever the empirical circumstances may be” (Kant

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