Hume's Ethics: The Subjectivity of Morality

🔑 Hume believes that moral statements belong to the field of morality and describe what should or should not be done.

🔑 According to Hume, all ideas must be based on experience and impressions.

🔑 There are direct impressions, such as red or cold, and composite impressions, such as tree or bird.

👍 The perception of good and bad in someone's actions is based on the feelings they generate.

👎 Good and bad do not come from the external reality, but from the subjective conscience.

💡 Moral values like justice and injustice are not objective facts, but subjective feelings.

🔑 Moral values are not facts but rather feelings experienced by humans towards actions.

🙌 The realm of 'being' and 'ought to be' are separate, and things are not inherently obligated to be a certain way.

🤔 Some philosophers have tried to rationally demonstrate moral values as objective facts, but this is considered a major misconception.

🔑 Hume argues that reason only helps us connect ideas and establish relationships between them.

🌟 Hume believes that there is no inherent connection between actions and moral values.

💡 Reason does not provide a foundation for moral judgments, as moral decisions are based on desires and motives.

🔑 The motives for our actions are driven by feelings or emotions, rather than reason.

🌟 Moral sentiments are connected to the well-being and happiness of others, rather than our own self-interest.

💡 We approve actions that increase happiness and disapprove actions that cause suffering or unhappiness.

The disposition of humans towards benevolence, the desire for the well-being of others, is a universal sentiment experienced by all humans throughout history.

Benevolence is inherent in human nature and is the basis for our moral feelings and values.

Values are rooted in the feelings humans have towards the well-being of others and without these feelings, we would be indifferent to others' situations and have no reason to act morally.

🔑 Hume believes that reason plays a supportive role in moral decision-making.

💡 Moral beliefs cannot be based on God's will or tradition.

🌱 Humans progress by questioning traditions and seeking true happiness.