David Hume’s Argument: Why Reason Should Be the Slave of the Passions
David Hume, a prominent 18th-century Enlightenment philosopher, famously argued that reason should be the slave of the passions. This concept challenges traditional views on the relationship between emotions and rational thought, asserting that emotions, rather than reason, guide human behavior.
Understanding the Human Mind
Humans are driven by a complex interplay of feeling and reasoning capabilities. While reason can certainly facilitate decision-making, it often falls short of guiding intentional actions on its own. Hume posited that reason alone cannot motivate a person to act intentionally; rather, it can only provide information that aligns with existing values and desires.
Consider the example where reason informs you that if you value your time at $10 per hour, taking a friend's offer of $30 for a 2-hour job makes sense, barring extenuating circumstances. However, reason cannot make you value money or anything else you might desire more deeply. These values are derived from our passions—our inclinations towards tasty food, extended vacations, or other pursuits that can be monetized.
The Role of Reason in Decision-Making
Hume’s argument aligns with observations in cognitive psychology. We often adhere to foundational rules of reasoning, such as induction and causality, despite not having absolute proof. These rules are not inherently self-evident but are widely accepted because they align with our evolutionary experiences. Logical contradictions, like 2 25, feel abhorrent to us because they conflict with our deeply ingrained sense of reality.
From an evolutionary perspective, reason and logic are adaptations, much like sexual desire, love, empathy, and hunger. They are not arbitrary constructs but essential for survival, even if their universality is context-dependent. Imagine a world where reason were not considered an active principle. It would lead to cognitive dissonance and instability, potentially causing psychological distress and leading to an early and painful death.
Hume's Philosophical Position
In his essay “Of the influencing motives of the will,” Hume articulated two key points: first, that reason alone can never be a motive for action; and second, that reason can never oppose the direction of passion. This perspective challenges the idea that every rational creature should regulate its actions by reason. Hume insisted that this belief is an enduring confusion in philosophical discourse, suggesting that it has been widely misunderstood.
Reason and Emotion: An Evolutionary Perspective
Hume believed that our cognitive phenomena, such as the belief in regulating actions by reason, are actually feelings or reactions to a need. In other words, the feeling of needing to regulate actions is what prompts us to use reason. This perspective aligns with the broader concept that feelings are active, while reason is inactive. Hume argued that:
“An active principle can never be founded on an inactive one, and if reason be inactive in itself, it must remain so in all its shapes and appearances whether it exerts itself in natural or moral subjects, whether it considers the powers of external bodies or the actions of rational beings.”
This evolutionary perspective explains why humans are conditioned to use reason; it is a survival mechanism embedded in our cognitive processes. Just as evolution did not create human embryos crawling on two legs from the start, but rather a process of gradual development, the emergence of reason from passions is a step in the continuum of human evolution.
Interpreting Hume’s Argument
While one may not fully agree with Hume’s arguments, it is crucial to interpret what he said rather than assuming what one believes he meant. His assertion that reason should be the slave of the passions emphasizes the dynamic interplay between emotional and rational faculties in guiding human behavior.
Understanding Hume’s argument can provide valuable insights into the complex nature of human cognition and decision-making. It underscores the importance of emotion in decision-making processes and challenges the narrow focus of reason as the sole determinant of human behavior.