The Empiricists: Hume

1

• The Empiricists Hume
• Theory of Ideas

2

• Outline

1. Introduction
2. Human Understanding
3. Knowledge
5. Conclusion
3

• Introduction
• Hume

• Life
• (1711-1776) Calvinist family
• Education and Projects A new scene of thought
• Carrier

• Works
• Treatise of Human Nature
• Enquiries Concerning Human Undersanding
• Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

4

• Introduction
• Humes Philosophy

• Main components
• Empiricism vs Metaphysical Systems
• Naturalism Hume and Newton
• Empiricism and Skepticism
• Hume and Religion

? Hume is a committed to empiricism and
naturalism (against speculative systems). He is
intending to be the Newton of Philosophy and
Morals.
5

• Outline

1. Introduction
2. Human Understanding
3. Knowledge
5. Conclusion
6

• Human Understanding
• Structure

UNDERSTANDING
7

• Human Understanding
• Two Laws

Copy Principle All ideas are resolved into
simple ideas copied from a simple
impression Argument the blind man and the idea
of color

• Association of ideas
• Resemblance
• Contiguity
• Cause and effect

• Natural and empirical laws of human nature.

8

• Human Understanding
• The Copy Principle Applied to Philosophy

Copy Principle All ideas are resolved into
simple ideas copied from a simple impression
By the converse Any idea which cannot be traced
back to a set of simple ideas / copies of
impressions is meaningless !!

• A radical way to solve many philosophical
  disputes!

9

• Human Understanding
• The missing shade of blue

Objection to the Copy Principle The missing
shade of blue
Humes answer singular case ? unsatisfactory

• A better Answer
• Mental paint mixing
• Not for metaphysical ideas

10

• Conclusion
• Humes theory of ideas

• Impressions
• Ideas sensation and reflection
• Copy Principle and its consequences
• Empiricism all knowledge comes from experience
• Naturalism empirical laws of nature
• But Skepticism strict limits to our
  understanding

11

• Outline

1. Introduction
2. Human Understanding
3. Knowledge
5. Conclusion
12

• Human Understanding
• Structure

KNOWLEDGE
13

• Human Understanding
• Laws of Reasoning

Relations of ideas Thought alone nothing can be
shown to be false unless it implies contradiction

• Matters of facts
• Observation
• Memory
• Reasoning in terms of causes and effects (dorms)

• What are the grounds of our causal reasoning?

14

• Conclusion
• Humes theory of knowledge

• Relations of ideas a priori reasoning
• Matters of facts observation, memory and causal
  reasoning
• ? Laws of nature grounds for true knowledge ????