0
Perfect Stranger Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary
Can someone help me understand this paragraph from Hume's treatise?
Hello all,
I'm totally lost, I don't know what he's talking about in this paragraph (I highlighted the tough parts):
. . . Those who affirm that virtue is nothing but a conformity to reason; that there are eternal fitnesses and unfitnesses of things, which are the same to every rational being that considers them; that the immutable measures of right and wrong impose an obligation, not only on human creatures, but also on the Deity himself: All these systems concur in the opinion, that morality, like truth, is discern’d merely by ideas, and by their juxtaposition and comparison. In order, therefore, to judge of these systems, we need only consider, whether it be possible, from reason alone, to distinguish betwixt moral good and evil, or whether there must concur some other principles to enable us to make that distinction.
After reading this passage, I thought of giving up on English.
I'm totally lost, I don't know what he's talking about in this paragraph (I highlighted the tough parts):
. . . Those who affirm that virtue is nothing but a conformity to reason; that there are eternal fitnesses and unfitnesses of things, which are the same to every rational being that considers them; that the immutable measures of right and wrong impose an obligation, not only on human creatures, but also on the Deity himself: All these systems concur in the opinion, that morality, like truth, is discern’d merely by ideas, and by their juxtaposition and comparison. In order, therefore, to judge of these systems, we need only consider, whether it be possible, from reason alone, to distinguish betwixt moral good and evil, or whether there must concur some other principles to enable us to make that distinction.
After reading this passage, I thought of giving up on English.
Top answer
Perfect Stranger After reading this passage, I thought of giving up on English. The thing was published almost 300 years ago, in the 1700s, PS, and no one but philosophy students read it. I certainly haven't read An Enquiry ...
- Perfect Stranger After reading this passage, I thought of giving up on English.
- The thing was published almost 300 years ago, in the 1700s, PS, and no one but philosophy students read it.
- I certainly haven't read An Enquiry ...
- and certainly wouldn't—life is too short.
- There are no idioms in there, and in fact no outdated meanings of the words; it is just turgid prose.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
Perfect StrangerAfter reading this passage, I thought of giving up on English.The thing was published almost 300 years ago, in the 1700s, PS, and no one but philosophy students read it. I certainly haven't read An Enquiry... and certainly wouldn't—life is too short.
There are no idioms in there, and in fact no outdated meanings of the words; i
00
Thanks MM.
Well, I'll have to get through this paragraph anyway because I'm doing an online course where one of the professors set a reading assignment for us.
Well, I'll have to get through this paragraph anyway because I'm doing an online course where one of the professors set a reading assignment for us.
00
virtue is nothing but a conformity to reason; -doing what is right is simply doing what is logical.
eternal fitnesses and unfitnesses of things -moral truths that do not change.
immutable measures of right and wrong impose an obligation, not only on human creatures, but also on the Deity himself -Unchangeable rules about
eternal fitnesses and unfitnesses of things -moral truths that do not change.
immutable measures of right and wrong impose an obligation, not only on human creatures, but also on the Deity himself -Unchangeable rules about
00
Blue JayAs Mister Micawber observed, reading Hume is heavy going and few people read his work for fun.Wow, Blue Jay, you've just made my day! I was about to give up on that paragraph. Now I'll give it another shot.
0
Related Questions