PHIL 201 Lecture : Hume Moral evaluation
Document Summary
First section is titled: influencing motives of the will. He is talking about what is capable of causing or stoping an action, internally. Can reason have an effect on an action. Hes arguing here that the only thing that can cause you to act is a passion or desire. The only thing that can stop you from acting is a change in action. Can a rational action being rational be the cause of an action. The only thing that can cause you to act is a passion, and the only thing that can stop you is a change of passion. But reason does play a subordinate role: 277 reason is and not only to be the slave of the passions passion is what gets the action started. But reason is a tool, so if you desire you want coffee, reason helps you figure out how to satisfy that desire. Reason being part of discovering a means to an end.
