Q0251
“Reason is wholly inactive, and can never be the source of so…” — David Hume (Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals,…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, App. I. Theme: morality.
English
Reason is wholly inactive, and can never be the source of so active a principle as conscience, or a sense of morals.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, App. I 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
Moral philosophy asks whether morality is objective, how reasons bind us, and how character, rules, and consequences relate. Traditions differ on whether duty, virtue, or outcomes come first. This passage enters that discussion through morality, reason.
Concepts in this quote
- Morality
- Morality in philosophy concerns right and wrong, obligation, and the standards by which we judge persons and acts.
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
How to cite this quotation
APA: David Hume. (n.d.). Reason is wholly inactive, and can never be the source of so active a principle as conscience, or a sense of morals. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0251
MLA: David Hume. “Reason is wholly inactive, and can never be….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0251.
Chicago: David Hume. “Reason is wholly inactive, and can never be….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0251.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Reason is wholly inactive, and can never be…”?
The passage is attributed to David Hume, Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, App. I. The archive attributes this English wording to Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, App. I 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 morality?
Moral philosophy asks whether morality is objective, how reasons bind us, and how character, rules, and consequences relate. Traditions differ on whether duty, virtue, or outcomes come first. This passage enters that discussion through morality, reason.