Page:Philosophical Review Volume 15.djvu/39

21 that it is common to a large body. The feeling of obligation to support the ends of the faction may, of course, either strengthen or negate the code of morality already established in society at large. It is to be regretted that Hume confines his explanation of this point to a single short and not altogether clear paragraph.

Hume approaches the question of individualism also from the social point of view, and in several passages he shows a marked appreciation of the corporate character of society and the dependence of the individual upon his social environment. With the bias of the time toward individualism, it was, of course, to be expected that he would allow an exaggerated importance to the influence exerted upon society by the individual ruler or law-giver, and would fail to appreciate, as we have since learned to do, the importance of social forces which are over-individual. A whole nation, he believes, may get a peculiar character by the imitation of 'a Brutus,' who happened to be placed in authority during the infancy of the state. Hence for Hume the course of history becomes to a great extent irrational and enigmatic. We can very rarely know the motives and purposes which actuated the conduct of the hero; for his character is usually lost to view in the dimness of the past, and, in any event, there is no certain way by which we can determine the real intention of an individual. Causal explanation in history is confined, therefore, to movements which involve a large number of persons. "What depends upon a few persons is, in a great measure, to be ascribed to chance, or to secret and unknown causes: What arises from a great number, may often be accounted for by determinate and known causes." If a cause is at work to bring about a certain result among a people, its operation will surely appear if we are able to consider a sufficient number of cases, but any given individual may be exempt from its influence. It follows from this doctrine that a large portion of history is not susceptible of any explanation at all.

Even with this assertion of individualism, however, Hume does not fail to give some recognition to the corporate life of the community. While it is not possible to explain the causes which