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Moral Sense and Virtue in Hume’s Ethics

Russell, Paul LU (2006) In Mind Association occasional series p.158-170
Abstract
On the face of it, Hume’s understanding of the relationship between virtue and moral sense seems clear enough. According to Hume, a virtue is a quality of mind or character trait that produces approval, and vice a quality of mind that produces blame ( T 614; cp. 473,575). This relationship between virtue and vice and our moral sentiments is described and analysed by Hume as part of his wider and more general account of the mechanism of the indirect passions. Any quality or object, Hume maintains, that is closely related to a person and that produces either pleasure or pain will give rise to an indirect passion. In the case of pride and humility the quality or object must be closely related to myself, whereas in the case of love and hate... (More)
On the face of it, Hume’s understanding of the relationship between virtue and moral sense seems clear enough. According to Hume, a virtue is a quality of mind or character trait that produces approval, and vice a quality of mind that produces blame ( T 614; cp. 473,575). This relationship between virtue and vice and our moral sentiments is described and analysed by Hume as part of his wider and more general account of the mechanism of the indirect passions. Any quality or object, Hume maintains, that is closely related to a person and that produces either pleasure or pain will give rise to an indirect passion. In the case of pride and humility the quality or object must be closely related to myself, whereas in the case of love and hate the quality or object must belong or be related to some other person. When the quality or object is pleasant we shall feel either pride or love, when it is painful I feel either humility or hate. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
sentiments, mechanism, quality, moral, approval
host publication
Values and Virtues : Aristotelianism and Contemporary Ethics - Aristotelianism and Contemporary Ethics
series title
Mind Association occasional series
editor
Chappell, Timothy
pages
158 - 170
publisher
Clarendon Press
ISSN
0955-9892
ISBN
9780199291458
9781383043822
DOI
10.1093/oso/9780199291458.003.0009
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
50ceb493-7852-4fad-b229-c8d49d782f89
date added to LUP
2024-09-14 08:39:32
date last changed
2024-10-03 14:38:55
@inbook{50ceb493-7852-4fad-b229-c8d49d782f89,
  abstract     = {{On the face of it, Hume’s understanding of the relationship between virtue and moral sense seems clear enough. According to Hume, a virtue is a quality of mind or character trait that produces approval, and vice a quality of mind that produces blame ( T 614; cp. 473,575). This relationship between virtue and vice and our moral sentiments is described and analysed by Hume as part of his wider and more general account of the mechanism of the indirect passions. Any quality or object, Hume maintains, that is closely related to a person and that produces either pleasure or pain will give rise to an indirect passion. In the case of pride and humility the quality or object must be closely related to myself, whereas in the case of love and hate the quality or object must belong or be related to some other person. When the quality or object is pleasant we shall feel either pride or love, when it is painful I feel either humility or hate.}},
  author       = {{Russell, Paul}},
  booktitle    = {{Values and Virtues : Aristotelianism and Contemporary Ethics}},
  editor       = {{Chappell, Timothy}},
  isbn         = {{9780199291458}},
  issn         = {{0955-9892}},
  keywords     = {{sentiments; mechanism; quality; moral; approval}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{158--170}},
  publisher    = {{Clarendon Press}},
  series       = {{Mind Association occasional series}},
  title        = {{Moral Sense and Virtue in Hume’s Ethics}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199291458.003.0009}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/oso/9780199291458.003.0009}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}