"A Treatise of Human Nature" Quotes

Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them.

There is an universal tendency among mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object those qualities with which they are familiarly acquainted.

The sweetest and most inoffensive path of life leads through the avenues of science and learning; and whoever can either remove any obstructions in this way, or open up any new prospect, ought, so far, to be esteemed a benefactor to mankind.

All our reasonings concerning matter of fact are founded on a species of Analogy, which leads us to expect from any cause the same events, which we have observed to result from similar causes.

Nothing is more surprising than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.

The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster.

The corruption of the best things gives rise to the worst.

No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish.

Truth springs from argument amongst friends.

All belief of matter of fact or real existence is derived merely from some object, present to the memory or senses, and a customary conjunction between that and some other object.