| | 1 | Author: | Hume, David | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Of the Origin Of Government  | | | | Published: | 2001 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | | | | Description: | Image of page
35, from David Hume's essay "Of the Origin of Government"
Man, born in a family, is compelled to maintain society, from
necessity, from natural inclination, and from habit. The same
creature, in his farther progress, is engaged to establish
political society, in order to administer justice; without which
there can be no peace among them, nor safety, nor mutual
intercourse. We are, therefore, to look upon all the vast
apparatus of our government, as having ultimately no other object
or purpose but the distribution of justice, or, in other words,
the support of the twelve judges. Kings and parliaments, fleets
and armies, officers of the court and revenue, ambassadors,
ministers, and privy-counsellors, are all subordinate in their
end to this part of administration. Even the clergy, as their
duty leads them to inculcate morality, may justly be thought, so
far as regards this world, to have no other useful object of
their institution. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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