British Journal for the History of Philosophy 25 (3):547–564 (2017)
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If one looks for the notion of conscience in Hume, there appears to be a contrast between the loose use of it that can be found in his History of England, and the stricter use of it Hume makes in his philosophical works. It is my belief that, notwithstanding the problems Hume’s philosophy raises for a notion such as conscience, it is possible to frame a positive Humean explanation of it. I want to suggest that, far from corresponding to a mental power or to a faculty of some sort, conscience for Hume can be understood as a reflective form of self-surveying. This becomes apparent if the discussion about conscience as presented in A Treatise of Human Nature is integrated with other notions Hume introduces in An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals when discussing the case of the ‘sensible knave’, such as those of inward peace of mind, consciousness of integrity, and reflection on one’s own conduct. To further explicate my line of argument, I shall also contrast Hume’s conclusions with some arguments presented by other authors in this regard, such as Bernard Mandeville and Joseph Butler.
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Keywords | Hume Conscience Reflection Sensible knave Mandeville Butler |
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Reprint years | 2017 |
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DOI | 10.1080/09608788.2016.1249334 |
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References found in this work BETA
An Inquiry Into the Original of Our Ideas of Beauty and Virtue.Francis Hutcheson - 1726 - New York: Garland.
The Fable of the Bees, or, Private Vices, Publick Benefits.Bernard Mandeville - 1732 - Liberty Classics.
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Citations of this work BETA
Moral Conscience’s Fall From Grace: An Investigation Into Conceptual History.Hasse J. Hämäläinen - 2021 - Intellectual History Review 31 (2):283-299.
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