Exploring Humes Moral Theory: The Role of Emotion over Reason

Abstract

Instructor’s Name 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 these sentiments, Hume approves that human nature operates within a line of a social convention for them to develop virtues. Social conventions promote virtue, and human nature can go contrary to them. Artificial virtues are dynamic and operate under stringent circumstances. Hume disputes various philosophers who believe that vices and virtues are natural to human nature. Hume's observations depict ordinary human life. Social conventions drive that. Hume purportedly talks about justice as an artificial virtue. This virtue entails following some set of rules to make it relevant. Hume alludes that it is of no sense to approve those who are or act justly without the appropriate social conventions. Human beings perform ethical obligations because it is a moral sense of duty, and they have ethical obligations to conform to what is right. They are tied in stipulations that define what is right and wrong and what they should do or not do. Hume rejects the analogy that human beings have a natural sense of justice since justice is not a moral sense of duty. The action cannot be termed virtuous unless there is some motive of human nature. the moral sense of duty cannot motivate something to be virtuous. Still, an act of charity done with intuition and goodwill is called virtuous. The sense f justice arises from a shared sense of interest, and there is no explicit agreement in making the ideals of justice. Attainment of justice is a gradual process, and confidence is gained through interactions with our peers. Artificial virtues are sometimes detrimental to society since it hides falsehood and fallacy beneath them. Social conventions can be altered for specific individuals' common good, for instance, the powerful and the privileged in society. The virtue of justice is an idea for the survival of society since it puts individuals in check, but it is worse than good that it is expected to manifest. It is a moral sense of duty to oblige to justice in society. The irony is that human nature will praise the fruits of justice and obey the rules of justice, yet sometimes people are denied their justice at the expense of others. We live in a society where the connection between individual justice and the common good of the people is weak. Reason alone cannot be a standard of morality. Reason perpetuates both truth and falsehood. In his influence argument, Hume does not decline that reason cannot be a basis of moral evaluation. He is more specific in using “reason alone’ in moral distinctions. Human beings are rational and cannot solely be based on reason. They are voids of emotions and feelings that define their approach to evil and good. Hume believes in the practicality of moral beliefs in curbing human behavior (Whelan, 2017). Society has moral norms that regulate immorality. According to society's view on morality, stealing another person's property is wrong. Stealing is a prohibited universal norm, and rational human beings believe in this sentiment. However, people steal for various reasons, and a mere ideology that human nature reasons and makes different judgments becomes lunacy. The sentiments of human passions and desires surpass the attribute of reason alone. Human beings believe that overeating sugary foods are dangerous for their health, but they will continue consuming sugary beverages and eating cakes and chocolates, following their passions and desires. The motives of the will to human action cannot be influenced by reason alone. The reason is only informative on good or bad but does not impulse human activity. There has to be a desire for good health in an individual to stop eating sugary foods. The motivational force in achieving a goal does not lie in human reason. The choices of an individual are not influenced by reason. For instance, an individual can succumb to doing what is unreasonable in the eyes of the right-thinking men in society. Still, the wrong passion and desires compel the outrageous act. Reason alone will not prevent an individual from choosing to kill a person. It is not justifiable to kill someone, but Hume's theory provides a basis for discussion in this context. Other than reason, other factors compelled this person to perform this atrocity. Through this analogy, Hume discusses a sensitive aspect that shapes morality in society. The reasoning capacity of an individual cannot influence the will; that is why human beings will continue to make destructive decisions that are not reasonable, justifying Hume's theory that there is something behind such decisions. Reason alone cannot produce action. According to (Dethier 2021), philosophers use the ‘truth apt’ is deducing what is universally true. For instance, Russia is the largest country in the world by area. The statement is confirmed by statistical and empirical evidence. This analogy bases its justification on facts of reason. The sentiments of emotions such as anger and happiness...