The Limits of Speculation

Until there is a complete science of human nature, it seems we must observe and gather empirical evidence to make sense of it. That is one of the reasons I like both Hume and Marx.

Hume was much impressed with the Scientific Revolution and tried to apply its empirical methods for moral studies. Marx was an acute observer of history and the conditions of his time. He used the empirical evidence he gathered for his devastating critique of capitalism and blind egoism.

Hume, who many claim is one of the first apologists for unfettered capitalism, was too much the skeptic and acute observer of human nature to seriously found a just society on categorical and absolute egoism.

Hume and Marx shared a belief in the virtues of altruism over the vices of egoism. It seems, in an overly simplistic way, that is the opening to reconciling the two philosophers if one admires them both. For Hume, egoism is worthless to society if it is not useful to society. Marx lived through the disastrous consequences of societies built upon unrepentant egoism.

Both men advanced the understanding of human nature, yet both knew the limits of their speculations about human nature. They did not try advance beyond those boundaries.

Both saw the goodness of humans as the place to start when speculating about morals.