David Hume Essay Research Paper David Hume1

David Hume Essay, Research Paper

David Hume

1. Hume says, If we would fulfill ourselves, hence, refering the

nature of that grounds, which assures us to affairs of fact, we must

ask how we arrive at the cognition of cause and consequence. Hume so

makes the claim that ; cognition of this relation is non, in any case,

attained by logical thinkings a priori. The support for this claim is that

cognition of cause and consequence arises wholly from experience. If you

presented an object to a adult male that he had ne’er come in contact with, he

would non be able to give you the causes or the effects of this cryptic

object. You can non state the causes or effects of a new object from the

qualities, which appear to the senses. Hume writes, nor does any adult male

imagine that the detonation of gunpowder, or the attractive force of a lodestone,

could of all time be discovered by statements a priori. Merely through experiences

with gunpowder and a lodestone would you be able to cognize the cause, which

produced it, or the effects, which will originate for it. Hume writes, When

we ground a priori, and see simply any object or cause, as it appears

to the head, independent of all observations, it ne’er could propose to us

the impression of any distinguishable object, such as its consequence ; mush less, show us

the inseparable and inviolable connection between them. A adult male must be really

perspicacious who could detect by concluding that crystal is the consequence of

heat, and ice and cold, without being antecedently acquainted with the

operation of these qualities. Therefore, cause and consequence is learned

through experience.

2. The round logical thinking in Section IV, Part II, paragraph 6, is, we have

said that all statements refering being are founded on the relation of

cause and consequence ; that our cognition of the relation is derived wholly

from experience ; and that all our experimental decisions proceed upon the

guess that the hereafter will be conformable to the yesteryear. If we are to

set trust in past experience and do it the criterion of our hereafter

opinion so the statements to back up the statement must be likely or

affair of fact and existent being. There is no such statement to back up

the guess. To try and turn out the last statement about the hereafter

being conformable to the past by likely statements is obviously traveling in a

circle because no likely statement exists.

3. When a adult male says, I have found, in all cases, such reasonable

qualities conjoined with such secret powers: And when he says, Similar

reasonable qualities will ever be conjoined with similar secret powers

This is the job with initiation as Hume saw it. When people experience

similarity among natural objects, they so to organize decisions based on

reoccurring observations. If every zebra I saw had chevrons, I would come

to the decision that all zebras had chevrons. The job is that I have

non seen all zebras, so my decision about zebras might be false. All the

premises about zebras might be true, but my decision could be false. It

is likely to some grade that all zebras I see will hold chevrons, but it is

possible that my decision is incorrect. I can conceive of a zebra without

chevrons, but I have ne’er seen one. That does non intend it does non be.

Hume & # 8217 ; s solution

1. Once a individual acquires more experience and has lived long plenty to

observe similar objects, he will invariably deduce the being of one

object from the visual aspect of the other. He has non from all his

experience acquired any thought or cognition of the secret power by which the

one object produces the other. He will go on in this same class of

unlawful thought. This is the job. Hume presents a doubting

solution to this job. His solution is, This rule of Custom or

Habit. For wherever the repeat of any peculiar act or operation

produces a leaning to regenerate the same act or operation, without being

impelled by any logical thinking or procedure of the apprehension, we ever say,

that this leaning is the consequence of Custom. This solution gives us the

reply as to why we believe that all zebras have chevrons. It is a solution

to the job of initiation. It is a rule of human nature. All

illations from experience, hence, are effects of usage, non of

concluding. Custom is the usher to the hereafter ; it allows us to demur a

similar class of events with those that have appeared in the yesteryear.

2. It does non look like a solution to the job. The job is people

tend to organize beliefs about objects through experience. If every Nintendo I

proverb was black, so I would organize the belief that all Nintendo & # 8217 ; s are black.

But in my head I can gestate a bluish Nintendo, but still believe that no

such thing exists. Besides, I have non seen of all time Nintendo in the universe so it

is possible that someplace there is a bluish Nintendo. This rule of

Custom that Hume provides as an reply to the job is non truly a

solution. I believe that it is simply a definition. He says that when we

repeatedly see any peculiar act or operation, we produce the belief that

the act or operation will reiterate itself once more because of the consequence of

Custom. That does non assist us any with the job. It merely defines why

we have the job. I don & # 8217 ; t believe that Hume & # 8217 ; s solution takes us any

further, but it does clear up the job a little more.