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    David Hume (1711-1776) : An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding

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    Jaime Taylor
    Hume argues that all ideas are derived from impressions of sensation or reflection. He distinguishes between relations of ideas and matters of fact. Judgments about relations of ideas are certain, while matters of fact are based on inductive inferences from past experiences and are therefore uncertain. Hume questions whether the idea of causal necessity is derived from experience, since necessity is not directly perceived. He concludes that beliefs about matters of fact ultimately rest on custom or habit rather than demonstrative reasoning. Hume advocates a moderate skepticism about areas beyond certain formal reasoning or everyday practical concerns.

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    David Hume (1711-1776) : An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding

    Uploaded by

    Jaime Taylor
    34 views29 pages
    Hume argues that all ideas are derived from impressions of sensation or reflection. He distinguishes between relations of ideas and matters of fact. Judgments about relations of ideas are certain, while matters of fact are based on inductive inferences from past experiences and are therefore uncertain. Hume questions whether the idea of causal necessity is derived from experience, since necessity is not directly perceived. He concludes that beliefs about matters of fact ultimately rest on custom or habit rather than demonstrative reasoning. Hume advocates a moderate skepticism about areas beyond certain formal reasoning or everyday practical concerns.

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    El escepticismo ilustrado

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    Hume

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    Hume argues that all ideas are derived from impressions of sensation or reflection. He distinguishes between relations of ideas and matters of fact. Judgments about relations of ideas are certain, while matters of fact are based on inductive inferences from past experiences and are therefore uncertain. Hume questions whether the idea of causal necessity is derived from experience, since necessity is not directly perceived. He concludes that beliefs about matters of fact ultimately rest on custom or habit rather than demonstrative reasoning. Hume advocates a moderate skepticism about areas beyond certain formal reasoning or everyday practical concerns.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    34 views29 pages

    David Hume (1711-1776) : An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding

    Uploaded by

    Jaime Taylor
    Hume argues that all ideas are derived from impressions of sensation or reflection. He distinguishes between relations of ideas and matters of fact. Judgments about relations of ideas are certain, while matters of fact are based on inductive inferences from past experiences and are therefore uncertain. Hume questions whether the idea of causal necessity is derived from experience, since necessity is not directly perceived. He concludes that beliefs about matters of fact ultimately rest on custom or habit rather than demonstrative reasoning. Hume advocates a moderate skepticism about areas beyond certain formal reasoning or everyday practical concerns.

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    of 29

    Revised, 11/16/06

    David Hume
    (1711-1776)

    An Inquiry Concerning Human


    Understanding

    (Text, pp. 327-340)


    Anthem1

    Anthem2
    An overall outline of the text

    1 Sensation & the Origin of Ideas


    2 The Nature & Limits of Human Knowledge
    3 The Nature & Limits of Inductive Reasoning
    4 The Idea that there is a Necessary Connection
    between Cause & Effect
    5 The Value & Limitations of Skepticism
    1. Sensation & the Origin of Ideas
    (327-8)

    The contents of the mind: (1) ideas & (2) impressions


    (sensations & feelings) -- Ideas (concepts, beliefs,
    memories, mental images, etc.) are faint & unclear;
    impressions are strong & vivid.
    Ideas are derived from impressions: All [all?] ideas are
    copies of impressions.
    The meaning of ideas depends on impressions [see next
    slide].
    The empirical criterion of
    meaning & truth

    "From what impression is that


    alleged idea derived?"

    No impression, no meaning?
    No impression, no foundation in reality?

    (Text, 328)
    2. The Nature & Limits of
    Human Knowledge (329-331)
    Two kinds of ideas
    (or judgments)
    "All the objects of human reason or inquiry may naturally be divided
    into two kinds: relations of ideas and matters of fact" (329).

    "Hume's Fork"
    Judgments concerning relations of ideas

    Ideas ("Hume's Fork")

    Judgments concerning matters of fact

    (Text, 329)
    Judgments concerning relations of ideas

     Intuitively or demonstrably certain


     Discoverable by thought alone [a priori]
     Cannot be denied without contradiction

    *Hume's examples: the Pythagorean Theorem


    3 x 5 = 30  2
    The Pythagorean Theorem
    On a right triangle, the square of the
    hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the
    squares of the other two sides

    5'
    4'
    (hypotenuse)
    2 2 2
    3 +4 =5 3'
    (9 + 16 = 25)
    Judgments concerning matters of fact
     "Every judgment concerning matters of fact can
    be denied without contradiction" (e.g., "the sun
    will not rise tomorrow").
     Neither intuitively nor demonstrably certain
     Not discoverable by thought alone [a priori], but
    rather on the basis of sense experience [a
    posteriori]
    More specifically,
    All judgments concerning
    matters of fact are based on . . . .

    the [more fundamental] belief that


    there is "a tie or connection" between
    cause & effect.
    And why do we believe that there
    is a "tie or connection" between
    cause & effect?
    Answer: The belief arises entirely from
    experience [a posteriori, not a priori],
    namely, the experience of finding that
    two events (cause & effect) are
    "constantly conjoined" with each other.

    (Text, 330-331)
    It is not logically necessary that a
    particular effect follows a
    particular cause;

    it is just a fact of experience.

    This view leads to Hume's discussion of . . . .


    3. The Nature & Limits of
    Inductive Reasoning

    (the problem of induction)

    (Text, 331-333)
    Hume on Induction
     Induction is the process of drawing inferences
    from past experiences of cause & effect
    sequences to present or future events.
     Hume's point is that an "effect" cannot be
    validly deduced from its "cause;"
     the inference from "cause" to "effect" is based
    on past experiences of "constant conjunction,"
    and these past experiences . . . .
    accustom or habituate us

    to believe that one event is the cause


    of another, which we believe to be the
    effect of the prior event.

    This is what leads us to believe that . . . .


    the future will resemble the past.

    It is all a matter of CUSTOM or HABIT.

    This is the foundation of . . . .


    (Text, 333-4)

    4. The Idea that there is a


    Necessary Connection between
    Cause & Effect
    If this is a meaningful (& true?) idea, then (according to
    Hume) it must be derived from sense impressions.

    What, then, is the sense impression from


    which this idea is derived?
    There is no sense impression of
    causal power or necessary
    connection of cause & effect, but
    we do experience . . . .
     (1) the spatial contiguity,
     (2) the temporal succession, and
     (3) the constant conjunction

    of "cause" & "effect."


    It is from this experience,
     especially the experience of constant conjunction,
     that the idea of a necessary connection between "cause" &
    "effect" arises (or is inferred);
     but the "inference" is simply a matter of "custom or habit."
     This seems to mean that the "inference" here is psycho-logical
    rather than logical. Actually, there is no experience of the
    necessary connection between cause and effect. Thus, all factual
    judgments (which are based on the assumption that there is a
    necessary connection between cause and effect) are subject to
    doubt.
     No necessity, no certainty.
    5. The Value & Limitations of
    Skepticism

    (Text, 334-340)
    Hume discusses 5 kinds of skepticism:
     (1) "Antecedent" skepticism
     (2) "Consequent" skepticism
     (3) Skepticism concerning mathematical
    reasoning
     (4) Extreme skepticism concerning matters
    of fact
     (5) Moderate skepticism
    The pro's & con's of "antecedent skepticism"
    (Text, 334-5)

    Criticism of "Cartesian skepticism" -- Is Hume's


    characterization of Descartes' approach correct?
    Fair?

    The value of the Cartesian approach when used in


    a "more moderate and reasonable way"
    "consequent skepticism"
    (Text, 335-6)

     The nature of "consequent skepticism"


     Weaker & stronger arguments in support of
    consequent skepticism
     A skeptical critique of epistemic realism
    – Common sense ("direct") realism
    – Representational realism (reason vs. common sense)
    – God & the reliability of sense perceptions
    – Skeptical conclusion with regard to epistemic realism
    Skepticism concerning mathematical
    reasoning with regard to space & time
    (Text, 336-7)

     The idea of the infinite


    divisibility of space  The idea of the infinite
    results in "absurdities divisibility of time
    & contradictions" that does the same.
    raise skeptical doubts
    as to the reliability of
    mathematics itself.
    Extreme skepticism concerning
    knowledge of matters of fact
    (Text, 337-8)

     "Popular" skepticism with


    regard to empirical  Hume's criticism of
    knowledge these forms of
    skepticism: their
    impracticality & human
     "Philosophical" skepticism nature's resistance to
    with regard to empirical them
    knowledge (Hume's own
    position)
    Moderate Skepticism
    (Text, 338-340)

    Intellectual humility (the majority vs. the learned)


    The limitation of inquiry to accessible subjects
    (i.e., the concerns of everyday life)
    The limits of certainty: two types of human
    knowledge -- formal (a priori & certain) & empirical
    (a posteriori & uncertain)
    Conclusion on factual reasoning, theology, ethics
    & aesthetics, & speculative metaphysics
    The End

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