Hume & Aristotle

I started out trying to not like this idea of useful and agreeable, but the more I think about it the more it seems to fit. It is just not quite complete. When I say someone is a good person, I am saying that based on my judgement of the kinds of things I have seen that person do. Things which are both useful and/or agreeable to that person or those around him or her. Hume says everyone does that. Do we approve or disapprove of the action of that person? Hume says that sentiment is real basis for morality, and that if all things were equal then reason alone would not be able to decide what is moral. The decision would then be made based upon how we feel about the issue. We approve or disapprove of what the result will be. Approval is granted to those things which are either useful or agreeable or both to us or to another or both. Disapproval would be the opposite.

This is really close to to how I see myself making judgements and decisions. The interesting thing is when someone chooses to do something that is not useful or agreeable. I think Hume would throw this one into the vices column. Here is where I do disagree with Hume. There is more to morality than just feelings. Also there are those who have “monkish virtues” and are happy and good. I think that Hume goes a little to far by laying down a judgement that the virtues promoted by the church and monks are really vices. But there is also some truth to that. For me, Aristotle’s mean is what virtue is. It is subjective enough to ebb and flow as needed. It is not either extreme, for the extremes are vices. So humility can be a vice if taken too far, just as pride can be a vice if taken to the extreme. The virtue is the mean between those extremes. The mean is not the same all the time and for everyone. It is moderated and adjusted based upon practical wisdom. Hume also says that there is a level of reason in making a moral decision.

Hume is right that there is subjectivity in virtue and making moral decisions. Hume is also right that approval or disapproval is granted by judging the usefulness and/or agreeableness of the action. He is incorrect in placing pride as a virtue and humility as a vice, just one example of his monkish virtues. The real virtue or personal merit is not found at either extreme, it is found in between. This mean is different for each of us, even for the same trait. It is through the use of reason that we are able to bring our beliefs or morals or virtues into practice in the world as that which is useful and/or agreeable.