I am apt, however, to entertain a Suspicion, that the World is still too young to fix any general stable Truths in Politics, which will remain true to the latest Posterity. We have not as yet had Experience of above three thousand Years; so that not only the Art of Reasoning is still defective in this Science, as well as in all others, but we even want sufficient Materials, upon which we can reason. 'Tis not sufficiently known, what Degrees of Refinement, either in Virtue or Vice, human Nature is susceptible of; nor what may be expected of Mankind from any great Revolution in their Education, Customs, or Principles. David Hume
About This Quote

This quote from the French philosopher, Montaigne, is a statement about the difficulty of establishing universal standards of right and wrong. In this context, he is talking about the difficulty of understanding the impact of education on young people. In his view, it is impossible to make definitive statements about what should or should not be taught in schools because we have very little knowledge of human development over time. At this point, we have not yet experienced the consequence of a general change in how people are raised and educated.

Source: Essays: Moral, Political And Literary

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More Quotes By David Hume
  1. Generally speaking, the errors in religion are dangerous; those in philosophy only ridiculous.
  2. Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions.
  3. 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.
  4. It is impossible for us to think of any thing, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses.
  5. No man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping.
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