On Hume's Theory of justice in the "Treatise" and "Original Contract"

Abstract

Two distinctions, in my opinion, are important in understanding of Hume's theory of justice1. First distinction: Hume makes a very marked distinction between the manner in which rules of justice are established by artifice of on one hand, and, on other hand, the reasons which deter mine us to attribute to observance or neglect of these rules a moral beauty and deformity (T, 484). Bearing in mind at same time other passages (for example, T, 579, 586) one can briefly speak of distinc tion as one between establishment and evaluation of justice. I am concerned here with consistency of Hume's remarks relative to establishment of justice as distinct from evaluation and appro bation of its rules. Second distinction: Hume distinguishes between two kinds of moral duties. The first are those to which men are impelled by a natural instinct or immediate propensity which operâtes in them, independent

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