Question

How does David Hume describe sensibility? What do you mean by inner and outer sensibility? What are the forms of sensibility Hume speaks of?

Answer 1

In Hume’s words: “For the purposes of life and conduct, and society, a little good sense is surely better than all this genius, and a little good humour than this extreme sensibility.” Hume was one of the great philosophical voices in the ancient times. His findings on human behaviour consisted of the fact that human beings operate more on emotion and feeling than on reason or logic. He also believed that as a race if we collectively accepted and embraced this fact, then we would be calmer and happier than in case of denying it. He also believed that reason and logic was one powerful way of suppressing and often even killing passion.