Exploring Humes Moral Theory: The Role of Emotion over Reason

Hume’s Theory of Morality Student’s Name Institution Affiliation Instructor’s Name Course Number Date David Hume is a prolific writer, and his works grasped the relationship between morality and reason. Hume's theory is famous for rejecting ethical rationalism, purporting those moral distinctions are not based on reason alone, and some other capacities influence moral decisions of human nature. Hume’s theory tries to define the relationship between morality and reason; it is a stepping stone for contemporary philosophers in moral evaluation, moral psychology, and the virtue of ethics. He explains that human emotions have a role in an individual’s thoughts and actions, what it means to live a virtuous life, and human sociability. Human beings have emotions and feelings, consequential to their moral thoughts and actions. According to (Strawson & Allais 2018), many philosophers believed in the rationalist concept of reason, alluding that human beings reason, which separates them from the natural world in making correct decisions. Reason and emotions are significant sentiments in Hume's theory of morality. Emotions are powerful and contribute to human action. Hume's theory responds to philosophers who believe in reason as the basis of moral distinctions. This essay will prove Hume’s arguments sentiments of emotions as the foundation of morality rather than reason alone and its moral implications in contemporary society. Hume proved using his theory that there are no moral facts and the matter of morality is not a matter of facts and truth. Reason alone is concerned with both truth and falsehood in the realm of ideas and matters of fact. The understanding of right and wrong cannot be based on reason alone. In making moral judgments, Hume believes that we must consider all aspects relating to the situation, including reason, and moral judgments are not possible without our feelings and sentiments. Hume claims that reason is a slave of the passions (Buckles, 2012). Reason alone is not enough for Christians to go to church every day. They have a feeling and desire for something. Our ultimate goals as humans are not based on reason. Human beings understand that eating sugary foods risks health issues, but they will continue eating. Reason prompts action. A person will do the tedious calculation when ascertaining a debt he owes somebody just because there is an ultimate goal for the action; settling his debt. The reason to commit to something is due to a demand for intuition. Often human beings let passion defeat reason. Hume rejects moral rationalists’ perceptions of good and evil. He asserts that his theory is grounded on the observations of human nature. Hume proved that character traits and motives of human nature are behind human action. he explained this concept using the natural and artificial virtues. Huma nature is constituted of natural and artificial values. A natural tree needs human intervention to create wood products such as wooden chairs. Artificial virtues such as good manners, purity, and keeping of promises constitute a system or cooperation n for them to be promulgated. Heman nature can never approve artificial virtues without social conventions. There are no social conventions needed to prove acts of generosity and kindness. Through the