On the Nature of Morality in David Hume’s Philosophy

Abstract

The paper attempts to identify the ethical meaning of David Hume’s sen-timentalism. Hume’s approach to the understanding of the nature of morality was aimed at revealing its special character, which was interpreted rather as a peculiar manifestation of human nature, than as the nature of things. Hume believed that morality was a peculiar feature that distinguished human beings from all other creatures. It is associated primarily with the affective side of human nature, governs actions and expresses the value relation of a human being to the world, distinct from the cognitive relationship.