--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In all determinations of morality, this…" description: "\"In all determinations of morality, this circumstance of public utility is ever principally in view; and wherever disputes arise, either in philosophy o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/david-hume-538_affair_in-all-determinations-of-morality-this-c_1326435.jpg" --- # In all determinations of morality, this circumstance of… ![“In all determinations of morality, this circumstance of public utility is ever principally in view; and wherever disputes arise, either in philosophy or common life, concerning the bounds of duty, the questions cannot, by any means, be decided with greater certainty, than by ascertaining, on any…” quote by David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/david-hume-538_affair_in-all-determinations-of-morality-this-c_1326435.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/david-hume-538_affair_in-all-determinations-of-morality-this-c_1326435.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/david-hume-538_affair_in-all-determinations-of-morality-this-c_1326435.jpg) > “In all determinations of morality, this circumstance of public utility is ever principally in view; and wherever disputes arise, either in philosophy or common life, concerning the bounds of duty, the questions cannot, by any means, be decided with greater certainty, than by ascertaining, on any side, the true interests of mankind. If any false opinion, embraced from appearances, has been found to prevail; as soon as farther experience and sounder reasoning have given us juster notions of human affairs, we retract our first sentiment, and adjust anew the boundaries of moral good and evil.” [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Morality should be judged by the overall benefit to humanity, not by isolated appearances; truths evolve with better evidence and reasoning. **In simple terms:** Moral judgments depend on true human interests and improve with better knowledge. Key Takeaway Seek the greater good, revise beliefs with new evidence. Themes ethics human welfare philosophy Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - public policy debates - ethical committees - personal decision making - legal reforms Key Concepts utilitarianism empiricism moral relativism Questions to Reflect On - How do we identify true interests of humanity? - When should we revise moral judgments? A Different Perspective Moral certainty is elusive; context can shift perceived duties. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Appearance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appearance/) [Arise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arise/) [Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) [Boundaries Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries-moral-4436107/) [Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bounds/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Common life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-life/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Determinations Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determinations-morality-4436105/) [Disputes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disputes/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Good and evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-evil/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-good-517567/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Morality Circumstance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality-circumstance-4436106/) [Notion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notion/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoning/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Sounder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounder/) [Utility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utility/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) ## Related quotes > [Let us become thoroughly sensible of the weakness, blindness, and narrow limits of human reason: Let us duly consider its uncertainty and endless contrarieties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/let-us-become-thoroughly-sensible-of-the-weakness-blindness-and/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [The great subverter of Pyrrhonism or the excessive principles of scepticism is action, and employment, and the occupations of common life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/the-great-subverter-of-pyrrhonism-or-the-excessive-principles-of/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [“Only WAY we can be MORAL and GOOD is by grasping, SCIENTIFICALLY and SPIRITUALLY that in quantum composition and substratum, in SPIRIT and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fakeer-ishavardas/only-way-we-can-be-moral-and-good-is-by-grasping-scientifically-and/) [Fakeer Ishavardas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fakeer-ishavardas/) > [The great secret of morals is love; 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at the same time it portrays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-baeck/romantic-enthusiasm-lifts-the-good-aloft-and-removes-it-into-the-dim/) [Leo Baeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-baeck/) > [If the moral good of fiction stems mainly from a habit of mind it inculcates in the reader, styles are neither good nor bad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gordon/if-the-moral-good-of-fiction-stems-mainly-from-a-habit-of-mind-it/) [Mary Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gordon/) > [The great instrument of moral good is the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/the-great-instrument-of-moral-good-is-the-imagination/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Caring, whether for children or the dying, shouldn't be instrumental. 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