Hume's Ethics Flashcards
How does the relationship of matters of fact and relations of ideas affect Hume’s ethics?
When we think of matters and facts they are brute facts. And relations of ideas are things we learn out of habit. So matters of fact and relations of ideas relate to reality in a way that we see them in our moral actions. Our moral actions are guided by the fact that we anticipate moral outcomes from our moral actions. Even if we want them to be correct, there are relations of ideas. Hence, there is no guarantee that these ideas will be consistent with reality.
Ex: Giving alms may not necessarily be a good thing for other people.
Our idea/ reasonable way of projecting the possibility will not always be the same with the outcome. The outcome is a matter of fact that we cannot afford. There’s a possibility that that is not the beggar’s baby and that the entire operation of collecting acts is a syndicated operation.
We cannot predict the outcome, and we are guided by something more based in a sense that we follow sentiments/ instincts.
What role does reason and sentiments play in our ethical decisions and actions?
Reason and sentiment are not opposed to one another. Reason allows us to project possibilities coming from certain moral actions. Reasons might guide you or give you options. But at the end of the day, the entire process of deciding whether to pursue a certain moral action is dependent/ will rely on the sentiment. The sentiment is the important motivating factor when it comes to moral actions.
Why does Hume assert the importance of sentiments in morality?
At the end of the day, any choice that you make is based on your own sense of sentiments/ feelings you have on a certain moral situation. Hume asserts that there is no way that reason is going to motivate us because sentiment is the deciding factor.
