David Hume Quotes About Liberty

We have collected for you the TOP of David Hume's best quotes about Liberty! Here are collected all the quotes about Liberty starting from the birthday of the Philosopher – May 7, 1711! We hope you will be inspired to new achievements with our constantly updated collection of quotes. At the moment, this page contains 2 sayings of David Hume about Liberty. We will be happy if you share our collection of quotes with your friends on social networks!
  • Luxury, or a refinement on the pleasures and conveniences of life, had long been supposed the source of every corruption in government, and the immediate cause of faction, sedition, civil wars, and the total loss of liberty. It was, therefore, universally regarded as a vice, and was an object of declamation to all satyrists, and severe moralists.

    David Hume (1751). “An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals”, p.30
  • A Tory..., since the revolution, may be defined in a few words, to be a lover of monarchy, though without abandoning liberty; anda partizan of the family of Stuart. As a Whig may be defined to be a lover of liberty though without renouncing monarchy; and a friend to the settlement in the protestant line.

  • Enthusiasm, being the infirmity of bold and ambitious tempers, is naturally accompanied with a spirit of liberty; as superstition,on the contrary, renders men tame and abject, and fits them for slavery.

    Men  
    David Hume (1875). “Essays Moral, Political, and Literary”, p.149
  • In all ages of the world, priests have been enemies of liberty.

    'Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary' (ed. T. H. Green and T. H. Grose, 1875) 'Of the Parties of Great Britain' (1741-2)
  • Municipal laws are a supply to the wisdom of each individual; and, at the same time, by restraining the natural liberty of men, make private interest submit to the interest of the public.

    Men  
    David Hume (1825). “Essays and treatises on several subjects: essays, moral, political and literary”, p.180
  • Liberty of any kind is never lost all at once.

  • Learning has been as great a Loser by being shut up in Colleges and Cells, and secluded from the World and good Company. By that Means, every Thing of what we call Belles Lettres became totally barbarous, being cultivated by Men without any Taste of Life or Manners, and without that Liberty and Facility of Thought and Expression, which can only be acquir'd by Conversation.

    David Hume (1875). “Essays Moral, Political, and Literary”, p.368
  • Liberty is a blessing so inestimable, that, wherever there appears any probability of recovering it, a nation may willingly run many hazards, and ought not even to repine at the greatest effusion of blood or dissipation of treasure.

    David Hume (2016). “Delphi Complete Works of David Hume (Illustrated)”, p.874, Delphi Classics
  • Superstition is an enemy to civil liberty.

    David Hume (1862). “Essays moral, political, and literary. (Life of the author, etc.).”, p.48
  • But to proceed in this reconciling project with regard to the question of liberty and necessity; the most contentious question of metaphysics, the most contentious science.

    David Hume (2012). “An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding”, p.60, Courier Corporation
  • It is seldom, that liberty of any kind is lost all at once. Slavery has so frightful an aspect to men accustomed to freedom, that it must steal upon them by degrees, and must disguise itself in a thousand shapes, in order to be received.

    Men  
    David Hume, Stuart D. Warner, Donald W. Livingston (1994). “Hume: Political Writings”, p.253, Hackett Publishing
  • In all ages of the world, priests have been enemies to liberty; and it is certain, that this steady conduct of theirs must have been founded on fixed reasons of interest and ambition. Liberty of thinking, and of expressing our thoughts, is always fatal to priestly power, and to those pious frauds, on which it is commonly founded; and, by an infallible connexion, which prevails among all kinds of liberty, this privilege can never be enjoyed, at least has never yet been enjoyed, but in a free government.

    David Hume (2016). “Essays Moral, Political, Literary: Revision of Great Book”, p.50, VM eBooks
  • Liberty of thinking, and of expressing our thoughts, is always fatal to priestly power, and to those pious frauds on which it is commonly founded.

    David Hume, Stephen Copley, Andrew Edgar (2008). “Selected Essays”, p.33, Oxford University Press
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David Hume

  • Born: May 7, 1711
  • Died: August 25, 1776
  • Occupation: Philosopher