Rules and Chance in the Social World:Hume's hunt for uncertainty

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Hume argues that the whole plan or scheme of justice is "highly conductive to the well-being of every individual, however single acts of justice may be contrary". He even asserts that every individual person must find himself or herself a gainer, on balancing the account. This claim is impossible to prove, though, since there is no fixed point of time when we can "balance the account". Any single person can borrow money, invest, and fail. The goods we produce may or may not find a purchaser. The profit we might gain through the system of fair transactions is, to say the least, uncertain. Still, it seems more desirable than not that people can take risks when they want to. This inclination towards uncertainty is not explained in Hume's quasiutilitarian account of justice. It is rather an aspect of human psychology he takes for granted when he sets out to deal with morals. It is the same mental operation Hume discusses when he examines the passion for philosophy, hunting, and gaming. Thus, it will appear that human social behaviour is not driven only by self-interest but also by playfulness, which gives rise to new discoveries and inventions.
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