David Hume Perception Essay

An Evaluation of Perception Regarding Immanuel Kant and David Hume

A common philosophy that has dominated and defined the very nature of science is the theory that humankind can only be aware of that which exists within the mind. David Hume defined this concept as perception but resided the belief that perceptions could be categorically broken down into ideas and impressions in his work, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding. This gave rise to Immanuel Kant’s Critique in Pure Reason, which tested Hume’s notions. As it goes in philosophy, these ideas are purely theories of man and to take either philosopher’s side would seem implausible: It is evident both men have accomplished the unthinkable when considering their demographics – a notion

Hume argued that, “A man in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that in emotion,” (Hume, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, p. 10). Here, it seems that Hume is merely sparking the idea that what we perceive can be graded in a scale of intensity when it comes to whether a person acts on their ideas or just thinks of them – this determines whether something is an idea or a perception. Hume resolves that if a man is angry, but still can determine whether his anger is truly passionate enough to act out insanities, then his anger is only an idea. If a man has enough desire to act out his anger then this man is under the impression that his anger is true and real – this is all the man

Hume acknowledges the profoundness of thought; he wrote, “And while the body is confined to one planet…the thought can in an instant transport us into the most distant regions of the universe,” (Hume, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, p.11). Even the furthest depths of thought cannot explain what is unknown – which is essentially everything. Man constantly strives to achieve new studies and prove their successors incorrect, which makes it evident that almost nothing is certain because past theories are almost always being shamed by another theory that is intended to be more complex than the previous. This was Kant’s goal in his Critique in Pure Reason – he intended to establish new ideas regarding metaphysics that he feels Hume’s philosophy neglected in the wakening that thoughts and impressions may have a deeper determining than sensory experience