"The smallest spark may here kindle into the greatest flame; because the materials are always prepared for it. The avidum genus auricularum, the gazing populace, receive greedily, without examination, whatever soothes superstition, and promotes wonder." (Chapter X, Part II, p. 83)
I found it curious that Hume seemed to envision this avidum genus auricularum to be a continuous race, not a race merely existant in a moment in history. I decided that he was, in fact, correct; at least for now we are still a gossip hungry race that seems to thrive on such things as E! (tv or magazine) or The National Enquirer, etc. Despite Hume's (seemingly) accurate description of the human race, he fails to give sufficient reason as to why we are the race he depicts. One reason he offers is the desire of individuals to gain fame by being 'the one who figured out' or 'spread the truth'...of course Hume put it more eloquently, but you get the idea. Is it as simple as he proposes? Or is there some other, bigger or more underlying reason that we as a race are so attracted to spreading gossip and similar stories?
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