David Hume on Sympathy in Commercial Society

David Hume’s concept of sympathy plays a crucial role in his broader understanding of commercial society, particularly in terms of social cohesion, moral development, and economic interactions. In Hume’s philosophy, sympathy is the psychological mechanism by which individuals emotionally connect with one another, enabling the transmission of feelings and fostering a sense of shared humanity. This natural capacity for sympathy, though primarily developed in his A Treatise of Human Nature (1739–40), becomes integral to Hume’s views on how commercial society operates and sustains itself.

Hume sees commercial society as a system that promotes mutual benefit through trade and exchange. However, he recognizes that economic self-interest alone is insufficient to ensure social harmony and cooperation. Here, sympathy plays a key role. While individuals may primarily pursue their own interests in a market economy, sympathy allows them to form bonds of trust and moral concern for others, which are essential for the smooth functioning of commerce. By enabling individuals to share emotions and understand the perspectives of others, sympathy underpins the social fabric necessary for economic transactions to occur in an orderly and just manner.

In commercial society, according to Hume, people are often removed from close personal relationships, dealing instead with strangers in impersonal market interactions. This could, in theory, weaken moral ties and lead to selfish or exploitative behavior. However, Hume argues that sympathy extends beyond personal relationships to encompass wider social connections. Even in a large and complex commercial society, people can sympathize with others by observing their actions, understanding their circumstances, and sharing their feelings. This shared sympathy helps to create a general sense of moral order, ensuring that individuals treat one another fairly and justly in economic interactions.

Sympathy also contributes to the development of social conventions that facilitate commerce, such as the notions of justice, property, and contract. Hume contends that such conventions emerge gradually as individuals, through sympathy, recognize the benefits of mutual respect and cooperation. For instance, in his Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751), Hume emphasizes that justice is not a natural virtue but rather a social construct that arises from the need to regulate property and maintain order in commercial society. Sympathy plays a central role in this process, as it allows people to internalize the perspectives of others and to recognize the importance of fairness in the distribution of goods and resources. This shared understanding, grounded in sympathy, sustains the legal and ethical frameworks that govern commerce.

Additionally, sympathy in Hume’s view helps mitigate the potentially corrosive effects of commerce, such as greed and social inequality. While Hume acknowledges that commercial society can lead to disparities in wealth and luxury, he argues that sympathy tempers extreme self-interest by fostering concern for the well-being of others. The ability to sympathize with the plight of others encourages individuals to act with kindness and generosity, even within a system driven by personal gain.

In summary, Hume’s concept of sympathy functions as a vital mechanism within his understanding of commercial society. It enables individuals to form moral bonds in a largely self-interested economy, underpins the social conventions that regulate commerce, and helps prevent the excesses of materialism and inequality. While commercial society is driven by self-interest, sympathy ensures that it remains socially cohesive and morally sustainable.