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Huma David Hume Loss Of Sympathy Essay

2227 Words9 Pages

Müge Neda Altınoklu Şenay
29 April 2016

An ethical problem of modernity: Loss of sympathy?

While reading the moral philosophy of David Hume, I have considered that the virtue of sympathy proposed by Hume as an essential motive for human conduct has a vital place for understanding the ethical problem of modern epoch. Although Hume saw sympathy as a key for getting out from the “wild uncultivated state” and as the foundation of justice, thinking about our epoch within this perspective seems to me highly problematical. Within this purpose, in this paper I will briefly discuss the the related aspects of the moral philosophy of David Hume, then I will discuss the problem of modernity which I called “loss of sympathy” within the framework proposed by David Hume. …show more content…

In Humean approach, these questions are central in order to understand both the important role of human psychology, the constitution of social relations and the formation of society. We can claim that Hume’s central concern is man, so that’s why the foundation of morality occupies an important place in Humean philosophy. As Hume suggested, “as the science of man is the only solid foundation for the other sciences, so the only solid foundation we can give to this science itself must be laid on experience and observation” (T, 6). According to Hume, experimental approach based on experience provides us to reach “to the study of human nature and his theory of mental faculties” (EHU, 11). To him, the collection and comparison of experiments gained through observation of human life provide to a philosopher more accurate human comprehension (T,

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