Hume

Section I. Ð'- Of the General Principles of Morals

This enquiry authored by Hume is an illustration of the constant debate that is morality, virtue verses vice. Hume concludes the best way to dissect morality is to remove sentiment, emotion, aesthetics and personal "feelings" creating objectivity revealing reason as the determinant.

Of the several premises Hume puts forth, I found his brief description of legal defense strategy most convincing because it is one precept upon which our society is governed. "In every criminal trial the first object of the prisoner is to disprove the facts alleged, and deny the actions imputed to him: The second to prove, that, even if these actions were real, they might be justified, as innocent and lawful." This explanation of criminal defense strategy speaks directly to Hume's clever alliteration and main topic virtue verses vice; in that virtue and vice must both be judged universally with the same dimension. The aforementioned is difficult to accomplish because individuals perceive reality differently e.g. sentiment. Arguing an action's affect is a matter of taste, but its' effect can be quantified with reason simply because there are certain logical agreements which endure throughout reality. Clearly the presence and influence of sentiment exists regardless of attempts to remove it. Given this fact, the ability to reason and feel can sway a decision but logic must be the final denominator, for it is the only way one can be equitable.

Finally, when a person goes against the grain upon which we are all rooted it causes an adverse reaction, negative emotion. Though emotion is present in all, it expresses itself in variation; as we experience our existences differently, we must employ logic in order to create a just society. The truth is morality is more complex than the binary descriptor used by Hume, but to promote