What is a moral? What is right and what is wrong? This is a question that has plagued philosophers and mankind for centuries. Is it possible to have a set of universal morals? There are many questions that surround the mystery of morals. They seem to drive our every action. We base our decisions on what is right and what is wrong. But what is it that actually determines what is right and what is wrong? Is it our sense of reason? Is it our sense of sentiment? David Hume spent much of his life concentrating on such topics. I will address many of the perspectives Hume discussed in his article, "An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals".
What exactly is it that drives our actions? Yes, morals drive them, but what determines what our morals are? I think it has to be one's own family and social culture.
David Hume's statements on ethics foreshadowed tho...
English: An engraving of Scottish philosopher Davi...
English: Tomb of David Hume on Calton Hill, Edinbu...I know in my life my mom always taught me to obey the civil laws, whether they were just or not. So I wanted to be the good son, so I did as I was taught, and when I did question a law, she would say write your congressman. So in effect, if I wanted to change something or at least believe I could affect this change, I would have to act. What is it that ultimately drives our actions; our feelings or our minds? Hume would say that it is our sentiment that ultimately drives our actions. According to Hume, reason is incapable of motivating an action. According to Hume, reason cannot fuel an action and therefore cannot motivate it. Hume felt that all actions are motivated by our sentiment and, reason has its place in determining morality, but it is not in the motivation of an action. Motivation...