Essay on Inconsistencies in Humes Empirical Thought

Inconsistencies in Humes Empirical Thought In his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume attempts to uncover the ultimate truth about where our knowledge comes from. This leads him to suggest that all our ideas and knowledge arise from outward experiences and sensations. He attempts to prove this by solving the problem of induction. I disagree with Humes ideas, and in this essay I will explain why. I shall begin by explaining the problem of induction, and the sceptical doubts Hume raises concerning the inductive process. I will then explain how Hume solves the problem. Finally, I will conclude by offering a critique of Humes doctrine, and explain why I find it to be inconsistent. In order to understand†¦show more content†¦Once Hume establishes the ultimate source of knowledge, he then attempts to probe into the various types of ideas, and how ideas relate to one another ? He suggests that all ideas are related in one of three ways: First, Hume utilizes the concept of resemblance. He explains this concept through an analogy of a photograph. In his words, a picture naturally leads our thoughts to the original.3 The basic idea here is that an impression leads one to remember the object, which one has experienced. The second way in which ideas give rise to one another is through Contiguity. Basically, contiguity suggests that thinking of one object inevitably leads one a discourse concerning the others. The third way Hume offers is that of Cause and Effect. This seems to be the most obvious of the three. When we think of a cause, we invariably envision its effect. When we imagine placing our hand on a hot stove, we generally accompany that id ea with its perceived effect, i.e. getting burned. These principles, which Hume refers to as connexions, form the glue that bind all ideas together. After explaining where ideas come from, and how they connect to one another, Hume is now free to delve into the actual objects of human reason and enquiry. Here, Hume divides all the objects into two categories: Relations of Ideas and Matters of Fact.4 The first idea can be defined as those ideas that arise from pure logic, such as arithmetic and spatialShow MoreRelated David Hume’s Two Definitions of Cause Essay3281 Words   |  14 PagesDavid Hume’s Two Definitions of Cause David Hume’s two definitions of cause found in both A Treatise of Human Nature, and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding have been the center of much controversy in regards to his actual view of causation. Much of the debate centers on the lack of consistency between the two definitions and also with the definitions as a part of the greater text. As for the latter objection, much of the inconsistency can be remedied by sticking to the account presentedRead More Fallibilism and Epistemology Essay5056 Words   |  21 Pagesin the Theaetetus. Epistemology could have leaped ahead two millennia, and some Hellenistic Greek could have been Ed Gettier. Perhaps a more famous victim of the quest for certainty is Descartes. He noticed that he was often wrong about things he thought he knew, even about some things he believed with a great deal of confidence. Not only have some of his well-grounded theories turned out to be wrong, but even the most certain of things, like his mathematical calculations (who hasn’t made a mathematical