"There are more things n heaven and Earth than dreamt of in your philosophy" (Shakespeare, 211). This quote from William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark presents quite an idea. It suggests that in our modern philosophy we have not even began to scratch the surface of what causes the nature of things around us. Our philosophy is centered on the idea of cause and effect. Whether a person realizes it, every standpoint that they argue from is based on a cause and/or its effect. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with this, but most people don't bother to analyze what the true connection is between a cause and it's effect. David Hume does an outstanding job of presenting a point of view that many people do not consider at all. He asks what is this connection and what makes us impose this connection immediately. If all of our findings are based on causes and their effects, and yet, we do not completely understand the connection between the latter, then how can we presume to hold our finding absolutely certain? Maybe this is partly what Shakespeare was hinting at in the aforementioned quote. Hume's exploration of the matter of cause and effect is an excellent tool for use in understanding the possibilities and limitations of our "matter of fact" knowledge.
Hume begins his paper by pointing out that humans are essentially ignorant to the world around them. Everything that we understand is based on someone else's findings or research. Hume points out that on his own, with no input or previous experience, Adam would not have been able to look at the ocean and say "Gee, I could be suffocated by that water." Though we now know through experience that fire can burn us and water can drown us, Hume suggests that we should try to rid ourselves of the ignorance that pertains to what is the relationship between cause and effect. He accurately points out that anytime that we think we truly understand the nature of an object, we are just describing that object with as much detail and precision as we have accessible to us. This idea is interesting because it leads one to question whether our most valuable truths in science are in fact, viable.
In science classes, instructors stress the importance of determining causation. The modern scientific method allows for many ways to describe every imaginable characteristic of something.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hume's exploration of the matter of cause and effect is an excellent tool for understanding the possibilities and limitations of our "matter of fact" knowledge.
- Analyzes how hume points out that humans are essentially ignorant to the world around them; everything that we understand is based on someone else's findings or research.
- Analyzes how the modern scientific method allows for many ways to describe every imaginable characteristic of something.
- Analyzes how hume's breakdown of causation is thorough and he tackles it in a general manner that his reasoning can still be at least appreciated.
- Cites hume, david. an enquiry concerning human understanding. 5 may 1996.
- Analyzes hume's argument that we are customary creatures who learn from experience and use methods and research to describe something as provable in our most typical situations.
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- David Hume and Future Occurrencesanalytical essayDavid Hume, in An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, discusses how we cannot predict the future. Even though our experiences and our reasoning tell us that objects act in a predictable way, we still cannot prove how objects will act in the future based upon previous interactions. After biting into a piece of pizza we expect an enjoyable taste. This enjoyable taste is expected because our past experiences have proven this to us. Even though we think we can predict that the pizza will act the same as our previous experiences, it may just blow up upon biting. Hume explains that there is no way to predict the future based on our previous experiences and reasoning and I will explain the logic he uses to prove this.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how david hume, in an inquiry concerning human understanding, explains that we cannot predict the future based on our experiences and reasoning.
- Explains hume's distinction that humans' relationships with objects are either relations of ideas or matters of fact.
- Explains that relations of ideas are parts of knowledge that are a priori, or not learned by experience. the opposite of these claims does not make sense.
- Explains that matter of fact, or knowledge learned through experience, cannot prove how objects function.
- Explains that people believe in matters of fact because they have some other reason for doing so. these claims are called causal claims and explain the cause and effect relationships of objects.
- Explains that the knowledge of cause and effect relationships arises entirely from experience when objects are constantly conjoined with each other.
- Explains that all human knowledge is either a relation between ideas or matters of fact. causal claims explain the relationship between an object's cause and effect.
749 wordsRead More - David Hume: Compatibilism And Humeanalytical essayMegan Darnley PHIL-283 May 5, 2014 Compatibilism and Hume The choices an individual makes are often believed to be by their own doing; there is nothing forcing one action to be done in lieu of another, and the responsibility of one’s actions are on him alone. This idea of Free Will, supported by libertarians and is the belief one is entirely responsible for their own actions, is challenged by Necessity, otherwise known as determinism. Those championing determinism argue every action and event are because of some prior cause. This causation may be by an external driving force, such as a divine power, or simply a chain of events leading up to a specific moment.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes and defends hume's argument for compatibilism, which is founded on a fundamental understanding of knowledge and causation.
- Analyzes how locke supports hume because of his beliefs regarding compatibility. he argues liberty is the idea of a power in any agent to do or forbear any particular action according to the determination or thought of mind.
- Analyzes how hume's proposition for compatibility provides an effective and logical approach in allowing both determinism and free will to exist simultaneously.
- Analyzes hume's argument by defining causation, which is essential in proving the principle of determinism.
1937 wordsRead More - David Hume on Sentiments and Reasonanalytical essayIn Appendix I., Concerning Moral Sentiment, David Hume looks to find a place in morality for reason, and sentiment. Through, five principles he ultimately concludes that reason has no place within the concept of morality, but rather is something that can only assist sentiment in matters concerning morality. And while reason can be true or false, those truths or falsities apply to facts, not to morality. He then argues morals are the direct result of sentiment, or the inner feeling within a human being. These sentiments are what intrinsically drive and thus create morality within a being. Sentiments such as beauty, revenge, pleasure, pain, create moral motivation, and action, and are immune to falsity and truth. They are the foundation for which morals are built, and exist themselves apart from any reasoning. Thesis: In moral motivation, the role of sentiment is to drive an intrinsically instilled presence within us to examine what we would deem a moral act or an immoral act, and act accordingly, and accurately upon the sentiments that apply. These sentiments may be assisted by reasons, but the reason alone does not drive us to do what we would feel necessary. They can only guide us towards the final result of moral motivation which (by now it’s painfully clear) is sentiment.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hume concludes that reason can only assist sentiment in matters concerning morality. sentiments create moral motivation and action and are immune to falsity and truth.
- Explains hume's five considerations to the roles of reason and sentiment within the confines of moral motivation, and rejects reason as a plausible explanation from oral motivation.
- Analyzes how hume's "mistake" is between what one person might see as right, or as wrong. a man killed another due to his ignorance, he did not know all the facts, and thus his actions were morally wrong based on those sentiments.
- Explains that hume's third consideration deals with taste and beauty, which is a direct result of stirring sentiments.
- Opines that hume's strongest thought is that sentiments are the ultimate end to a means.
1553 wordsRead More - David Humeanalytical essayIn Hume’s enquiry into the human understanding, he argues an end of the controversy that exists between liberty and necessity. In this topic, Hume is referring to the controversy that exists on the issues of free will and determinism. He argues that all human beings of whether they are learned or not face the challenge on the relationship between liberty and determinism. He traces the root cause to this controversy as the failure to give a proper definition of the two terms. His suggestion is that the controversy could easily be solved if all people become careful with their definitions of the terms. He argues that, “For how easy may it seem to give exact definitions of the terms employed in reasoning....” (17). He believes that, in spite of the differences in human beings, all human being has credo that they agree on from both fields of necessity and liberty.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes hume's enquiry into the human understanding. he argues an end to the controversy that exists between liberty and necessity.
- Analyzes how hume examines the factors that define necessity and suggests that our ideas are based on the connections between certain determinations and events in life.
- Argues that hume's solutions to the controversy lie in his alteration of our conception of the universe as deterministic.
- Analyzes how hume defines free will as the ability to act according to one’s will. his definition was purposefully drawn to fit his definition of determinism.
- Analyzes how hume argues that similarity in our interpretation will reduce the controversies we hold over certain events. certainty on the regularities in event results in making of predictions that one will act on them.
- Argues that universality in human motives and acts will reduce the liberty necessity controversy. hume suggests a particular way of analyzing the uniformity of human actions.
863 wordsRead More - David Hume: Vices and Virtuesanalytical essayHume: Vices and Virtues Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems such as those regarding existence, reality, knowledge, values, the human mind and language. “I think, therefore I am” is a famous quotation that attempts to define this study very simply, and the philosopher quoted was Rene Descartes, a 17th century Frenchman who is widely regarded as the Father of Modern Philosophy. David Hume was an 18th century Scotsman who is considered by many to be the most important philosopher ever to write in English. The intention here is to explain Hume’s theory of virtue and vice in the light of his views about practical rationality, which is the use of reason to help one decide how to act. Even though it was customary for lads to attend schools of higher learning at age fourteen in the 18th century, David Hume started college at Edinburgh University before the age of twelve.
In this essay, the author
- Explains hume's theory of virtue and vice in light of his views about practical rationality.
- Explains that david hume started college at edinburgh university before the age of twelve, where he discovered his passion for philosophy. his ideas stirred up enough controversy to fuel his reputation as an atheist.
- Explains that his writings concerning religion seemed to offend some, whether they were catholic, protestant or even the church of scotland, whose leaders considered him disloyal and discussed bringing charges of infidelity against him
- Analyzes hume's view that practical rationality is merely a matter of obtaining efficient ways to satisfy our desires.
- Explains that aristotle's moral theory or reasoning is seen as a way to act well and have good feelings. hume believed feelings or emotions motivate or drive our behavior, not education, virtue or good character.
- Explains that hume's theory of moral sentiments is based on his belief that sentiment is generic for emotions and all emotions are impressions, not ideas.
- Explains that human traits like generosity, gratitude, and compassion are offset by natural human selfishness. to hume, the worst crime humans can commit is ingratitude, especially when it is committed against parents.
- Analyzes hume's position that morality is not an object of reason, and compares vice and virtue to temperatures, noises, colors, perceptions of the human mind.
1060 wordsRead More - David Hume's Empiricismargumentative essayThe next major theory on how one obtains knowledge comes from David Hume’s Empiricism. Empiricism itself is the idea that all knowledge obtained is done so through senses or experiences throughout life. This theory itself clearly contrasts with rationalism as rationalists believe at no point that they should gain knowledge through senses/experiences. Furthermore, as an empiricist, he does not value anything that is not attained through experience. One of Hume’s beliefs is the idea that everyone is born with a mental “blank slate”. Because all knowledge we gain is thought to be gained through experience (which a newborn would have none at that point) the “slate” starts as blank and will filled in as the person learns through experiences. This
In this essay, the author
- Compares hume's empiricism with rationalism, stating that all knowledge obtained is done through senses or experiences throughout life, while empiricists do not value anything not attained through experience.
- Explains that hume and empiricists acknowledge that all the objects of human reason are divided into two parts, relations of ideas and matters of fact.
- Opines that empiricist and rationalist views on how a human comes to gain knowledge are more plausible than rationalism. descartes is wrong, but his ideas don't align with mine.
- Argues that humans are born with innate ideas, which hume and empiricists disagree with.
1115 wordsRead More - DavidHume's Theory of Causation and Scepticismanalytical essayThe reason that Hume believes that human’s inability to understand causation must result in scepticism can be seen through the following claim.
In this essay, the author
- Explains hume's reasoning behind his theory of causation and scepticism, and kant’s thought on the topic.
- Concludes that we have no idea of connection or force at all, when employed in philosophical reasoning or common life.
- Explains that he asserts that we never see causal necessity, and therefore that the idea of a necessary causal connection is meaningless.
- Analyzes hume's claim that we can never see causal necessity, as we never have perceptions that tell us that a given cause must be followed by its usual effect.
- Analyzes hume's claim that because causal necessity cannot be perceived by us, we have no reason to believe that such a thing exists.
- Explains that all arguments concerning existence are founded on the relation of cause and effect, that our knowledge of that relation is derived entirely from experience, and all our experimental conclusions proceed upon the supposition that the future will be conform to the past.
- Explains that hume's realization that the whole notion of causal necessity is flawed leads to much broader consequences than us merely being unable to prove the connection between something as presumably trivial as golf club and its impact on a ball.
- Argues that it is impossible for any arguments from experience to prove this resemblance of the past to the future.
- Analyzes how hume's logic of induction depends upon repeated observation and the assumption that the future is like the past.
- Explains that scepticism has plagued the world of philosophy and science with a shroud of doubt.
- Analyzes how kant's fundamental interest was concerned with how we can know that two events are causally connected, rather than finding out what is the nature of that causation. hume criticized the human notion of cause and effect as being conventional.
- Analyzes how traditional interpretations of kant's argument place him very distant from hume on the subject of causality.
- Analyzes how kant responds to hume's scepticism with the claim that, in order to have coherent experience, the mind must have imposed certain rules, or categories, on its own perceptions and experience.
- Explains that they must be able to identify objects, and identify objectively successive events. the ground for such identification is in their experience.
- Explains that successive perceptions of objective sequences are connected according to a rule, the rule of cause and effect. this is kant's take on the subject of causality.
- Analyzes hume's reasoning behind the theory that humans inability to understand cause and effect must lead to scepticism. kant, among other philosophers have tried to solve this question but it remains a puzzle.
- Explains that frederick copelston's a history of philosophy, volume vi, burns and oates, 1960; immanuel kant’s critique of pure reason: a commentary for students, t.e. wilkerson, bristol, england.
1675 wordsRead More - Semantics And Hume's Philosophyanalytical essaySimply put, Hume believes that because we are incapable of perceiving the totality of existence and the natural laws that dictate it, we falsely connect events in an attempt to derive a visible rationale for everyday occurrences. Yet, given how precise actions and results are, they must be the product of a natural and necessary force --- which, coincidentally, is why we see what we think are connections in the world surrounding us.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that hume believed that differences in the definitions of liberty and necessity cause people to choose sides, when, in reality, both sides can be correct.
- Analyzes how hume shows how necessity is present in our lives. he points out that many events that we perceive to be the result of another action are actually determined by logical laws of nature.
- Explains that hume believes that because we are incapable of perceiving the totality of existence, we falsely connect events in an attempt to derive a visible rationale for everyday occurrences.
- Analyzes how hume discusses liberty, which is essentially free will. he firmly established that we will never be able to rationally perceive any necessary connection between events.
- Analyzes how hume's supposition leads to the conclusion that a chain of events starts by the first choice would lead to pre-ordained actions which are all acted upon with the same necessary force.
- Argues that hume's definition of necessity limits the chances of growth and diversification in society. the claim is patently false and contradicts his views on liberty.
- Argues that hume's objection to his theory stems from a misinterpretation of what he is suggesting in regards to the natural law of our universe.
- Analyzes how hume recognizes that people live a variety of diverse lives when he states: "we must not, however, expect that this uniformity of human actions should be carried to length."
- Argues that hume's definition of necessity and liberty is flawed because people have choices and results are guided by the natural laws of the universe.
779 wordsRead More - David Hume: On Miraclesanalytical essayIn explaining Hume’s critique of the belief in miracles, we must first understand the definition of a miracle. The Webster Dictionary defines a miracle as: a supernatural event regarded as to define action, one of the acts worked by Christ which revealed his divinity an extremely remarkable achievement or event, an unexpected piece of luck. Therefore, a miracle is based on one’s perception of past experiences, what everyone sees. It is based on an individuals own reality, and the faith in which he/she believes in, it is based on interior events such as what we are taught, and exterior events, such as what we hear or see first hand. When studying Hume’s view of a miracle, he interprets or defines a miracle as such; a miracle is a violation of the laws of nature, an event which is not normal to most of mankind. Hume explains this point brilliantly when he states, “Nothing is esteemed a miracle, if it has ever happened in the common course of nature. It is no miracle that a man seemingly in good health should die on a sudden.” (Hume p.888) Hume states that this death is quite unusual, however it seemed to happen naturally. He could only define it as a true miracle if this dead man were to come back to life. This would be a miraculous event because such an experience has not yet been commonly observed. In which case, his philosophical view of a miracle would be true. Hume critiques and discredits the belief in a miracle merely because it goes against the laws of nature.
In this essay, the author
- Explains hume's critique of the belief in miracles by defining it as a supernatural event based on one’s perception of past experiences and faith.
- Analyzes how hume defines the laws of nature as what has been "uniformly" observed by mankind. he views society as being far to liberal in what they consider to be a miracle.
- Analyzes how hume discredits the belief in a miracle because of testimony versus reality.
- Illustrates two "so-called" miracles from the new american bible to show how hume would view them.
- Explains the story of noah's ark and the burning bush.
- Analyzes how hume would criticize the validity of the testimony versus the reality, arguing the time period in which the miracle had taken place, and questioning the integrity of men.
- Concludes that a miracle is based on an individual's perception of past and present experiences.
1899 wordsRead More - In this essay I will be discussing a very important conflict that Hume reflects in the conclusion of Book I, A Treatise of Human Nature. The thesis of this essay is to analyze the "conflict" between causal reasoning and the continued existence of external objects. Now, to be more specific I should say that I am inclining on Hume's side about the conflict being real for same thing cannot exist at one time and again at a later time, and also in between or at the same time. To summarize the conflict presented, it basically involves cause and effect, yielding the primary/secondary quality distinction and continued existence of matter depending on secondary qualities. Further, there is an argument for the claim that causal reasoning is of fundamental importance for our knowledge of matters of fact, although the conflict is still a problem. I will argue firmly that the conflict is real by providing several statements that show not in its favor, but against it, and contrary them. These statements will form the basis of discussion of this essay, and at the same time, focusing on the relevancy, that being the thesis.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes hume's conflict between causal reasoning and the continued existence of external objects in the conclusion of book i, a treatise of human nature.
- Opines that many infirmities are shared by all humans. experience and habit are principles that operate on the imagination to produce stronger reactions than others.
- Opines that the conflict of cause and effect arises between causal reasoning and the belief in continued existence of external objects.
- Explains hume's belief that ideas are always derived from impressions and that we cannot understand a word without experiencing sensory impression.
- Analyzes how hume breaks down the idea of causation into three simpler ideas: contiguity, emporal precedence, and necessary connection.
- Analyzes hume's response to the conflict in question, which is that we must preserve our scepticism.
- Concludes that they agree with hume's conclusion on the conflict, since causal reasoning is a fundamental importanace for our knowledge of matters of fact.
899 wordsRead More