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The examples given by Hume are for the most part mere assumptions
that he – the Moralist – is to decide on all the cases that come before him.
A strain of He occupies in his own mind a pulpit whence he deals out
his moral dogmas – & speaks as if he were the representative of
higher virtues than the man to whom he is speaking to. When he gives
no examples, it is mere idle trumpetting – tantarara& fiddle de dee.
He draws no intelligible distinctions between pleasure, passion & pain –
he makes distinctions where there are no differences – and dreams of settling [S 257 moral points – not by by phrases such as – it is becoming –
which are the mere sic volo – the despotism of an Instructor. Pleasure
and pain are the only clues for unravelling the difficulties mysteries of morality.
Fly where you will fumble about as you please no other master
key shall you find to open all the doors which lead into the temple of truth.

How does it happen that so many vague words, with vague
ideas, – or no ideas at all, attached to them have so long kept possession of the field.
It is because we imagine we thoroughly understand comprehend the terms which are familiar to us.

What we are continually talking of merely from our having been
continually talking of it we imagine we understand. So close an
union has habit cemented between words and things that we take one
for the other, and when we have words in our ears we imagine we have
thoughts in our minds. When an unusual word presents itself, we
challenge it, we examine ourselves to see whether we have an idea† † ideas
annexed to it, but when a word that we are familiar with comes across us
we let it pass on under favor of old acquaintance recognition. The long acquaintances

§ Note. The services of Hume in many parts of the field of moral & mental philosophy were immense. He first drew a clear distinction between impressions
and ideas – a distinction without which it is hardly possible to obtain any clear
notions on many topics of leading importance. The distinction is obvious when
pointed out. I see a man – "it is a perception" – I close my eyes but the imagine myself to see him still –
it is an idea.

Identifier: | JB/015/307/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	307	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f156
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5523
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