"Prescription, then, is for Burke the most solid rock on which mundane rights can be based; it gives a title having for its sanction the eternal order of things; it is the master and not the creature of positive law, it is the decree of nature, it is the law of God. Hume had stated the theory rather differently, but though Burke introduces a theological connotation, it is difficult not to suspect him of some debt to the earlier thinker. "Time and custom", wrote Hume, "give authority to all forms of government, and all successions of princes; and that power, which at first was founded only on injustice and violence, becomes in time legal and obligatory." Burke, too, holds that prescription is the most solid title to property and to government and so the principal base on which States are founded."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Atheism activistsPeople from EdinburghAcademics from ScotlandPhilosophers from ScotlandHistorians from Scotland
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
David Hume
1711 – 1776
schottischer Philosoph, Ökonom und Historiker
168 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by David Hume →
Related Quotes
"It cam’ wi’ a lass, it will gang wi’ a lass."
"All our obligations to do good to society seem to involve doing something in return: I get the benefits of society, s…"
"If suicide is a crime, only cowardice can drive us to it. If it is not a crime, both prudence and courage should lead…"
"Suicide can often be consistent with self-interest and with one’s duty to oneself; this can’t be questioned by anyone…"
"Observe, too, says Philo, the curious artifices of nature, in order to embitter the life of every living being. The s…"
"The whole earth, believe me ... is cursed and polluted. A perpetual war is kindled amongst all living creatures. Nece…"
"The first circumstance which introduces evil, is that contrivance or economy of the animal creation, by which pains, …"
"The conclusion [of the essay 'Of the Protestant Succession'] shows me a Whig, but a very sceptical one."
"The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster."
"With regard to politics and the character of princes and great men, I think I am very moderate. My views of things ar…"