Q0188
“Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions,…” — David Hume (A Treatise of Human Nature, II.3.3)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: A Treatise of Human Nature, II.3.3. Theme: reason.
English
Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to A Treatise of Human Nature, II.3.3 and files it under Scottish Enlightenment. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About David Hume
David Hume (1711–1776) was the Scottish Enlightenment’s greatest empiricist and skeptical naturalist, author of the Treatise of Human Nature and later Enquiries. Largely denied academic chairs over religious suspicion, he served as librarian and diplomat and wrote a bestselling History of England.
How to read this passage
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, desire, action.
Concepts in this quote
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
- Desire
- Desire drives action and suffering alike; philosophy asks which desires to educate, restrain, or affirm.
- Action
- Action concerns agency: what it is to do something intentionally, and how thought becomes practice.
How to cite this quotation
APA: David Hume. (n.d.). Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0188
MLA: David Hume. “Reason is, and ought only to be the….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0188.
Chicago: David Hume. “Reason is, and ought only to be the….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0188.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Reason is, and ought only to be the…”?
The passage is attributed to David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, II.3.3. The archive attributes this English wording to A Treatise of Human Nature, II.3.3 and files it under Scottish Enlightenment. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does David Hume mean by reason?
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, desire, action.