Q0336
“Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.” — David Hume (Treatise II.3.3)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Treatise II.3.3. Theme: reason.
English
Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Treatise 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.
Interpretation
Hume's sentence reverses the usual hierarchy in which reason governs passion. His argument in the Treatise is that reason alone cannot initiate action because it deals in relations of ideas and matters of fact, neither of which contains a motive. Motivation comes from desire or aversion; reason's job is to work out means and to correct factual errors about them. Calling reason the slave of the passions is deliberately shocking, but the claim is structural rather than a recommendation to stop thinking.
Why it matters
It explains why argument alone rarely changes anyone's mind. If a belief is held because it serves a desire, the productive question is what that desire is — not what further evidence might be supplied.
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.
How to cite this quotation
APA: David Hume. (n.d.). Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0336
MLA: David Hume. “Reason is, and ought only to be the….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0336.
Chicago: David Hume. “Reason is, and ought only to be the….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0336.
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, Treatise II.3.3. The archive attributes this English wording to Treatise 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.