Of the Dignity or Meanness of Human Nature
E80228
"Of the Dignity or Meanness of Human Nature" is a philosophical essay by David Hume examining whether human nature is fundamentally noble or base.
Statements (39)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
philosophical essay
ⓘ
work of philosophy ⓘ |
| addressesViewpoint |
that humans are naturally dignified and noble
ⓘ
that humans are naturally mean and base ⓘ |
| aimsTo | reconcile opposing evaluations of human nature ⓘ |
| author | David Hume ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Great Britain ⓘ |
| discusses |
limits of human reason
ⓘ
mixed character of human motives ⓘ strength of human passions ⓘ |
| examinesQuestion | whether human nature is fundamentally noble or base ⓘ |
| genre |
essay
ⓘ
moral philosophy ⓘ |
| hasInfluenceOn |
later debates on human nature
ⓘ
moral sentimentalist traditions ⓘ |
| hasPerspective | moderate view of human nature ⓘ |
| historicalContext | Enlightenment philosophy ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| mainTheme |
dignity of human beings
ⓘ
human nature ⓘ meanness or baseness of human beings ⓘ moral psychology ⓘ |
| philosophicalIssue |
evaluation of human character
ⓘ
optimism versus pessimism about human beings ⓘ |
| philosophicalPosition |
skeptical about extreme claims of human depravity
ⓘ
skeptical about extreme claims of human nobility ⓘ |
| philosophicalTradition |
Scottish Enlightenment
ⓘ
empiricism ⓘ |
| relatedConcept |
moral sentiment
ⓘ
passions ⓘ reason ⓘ self‑interest ⓘ vice ⓘ virtue ⓘ |
| relatedWorkByAuthor |
A Treatise of Human Nature
ⓘ
An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals ⓘ |
| usesMethod |
empirical observation of human behavior
ⓘ
philosophical analysis ⓘ |
| workIn | moral philosophy of David Hume ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.