Commonly attributed to Hume, but is actually from Spinoza (Ethics part IV PROP. LXVI Note)
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The difference between a man who is led by opinion or emotion and one who is led by reason. The former, whether he will or not, performs things of which he is entirely ignorant; the latter is subordinate to no one, and only does those things which he knows to be of primary importance in his life, and which on that account he desires the most; and therefore I call the former a slave, but the latter free.
— David Hume
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The difference between a man who is led by opinion or emotion and one who is led by reason. The former, whether he will or not, performs things of which he is entirely ignorant; the latter is subordinate to no one, and only does those things which he knows to be of primary importance in his life, and which on that account he desires the most; and therefore I call the former a slave, but the latter free." in the context of "Commonly attributed to Hume, but is actually from Spinoza (Ethics part IV PROP. LXVI Note)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "David Hume" (Misattributed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About David Hume
David Hume (7 May 1711, N.S. April 26, O.S. – 25 August 1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist and essayist.
About David Hume
David Hume (7 May 1711, N.S. April 26, O.S. – 25 August 1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist and essayist.
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